CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — By the time Bruce Arena reassembles the U.S. national soccer team, some six weeks from now in the Bay Area, the pressure shadowing a distressed World Cup qualifying campaign will have swelled and the roster undergone change.
The carefree days of winter training camp will have faded and Arena’s biting sarcasm slipped into semi-hibernation.
Before pivoting to two vital dates next month, matches that will go a long way toward deciding whether the United States qualifies for Russia 2018, Arena put his domestic-based players to the test Friday for a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in front of 17,903 at chilly Finley Stadium.