Now that Bruce Arena is six months into his second stint with the U.S. national team, the new-coach smell has begun to fade and the honeymoon is winding down.
Also gone is the sense of dread and crisis that enveloped the team when Arena replaced Juergen Klinsmann two losses into the final phase of World Cup qualifying last fall. Yet, even with the U.S. taking four points from its March qualifiers against Honduras and Panama, much work remains to be done if the Americans are to qualify for an eighth consecutive World Cup.
And the next eight days could go a long way toward determining whether this team and its coach have what it takes to get that done.