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Bruce Arena unveiled as USMNT head coach

Kelvin Kuo / USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Arena has returned as the United States national team's head coach 10 years after he was dismissed from his first stint at the helm, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced on Tuesday.

Stories surfaced over the apparent reuniting of the two parties when Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed as both head coach and technical director on Monday, but Arena takes the position on a permanent basis until the end of the 2018 World Cup, rather than on a reported interim basis.

"When we considered the possible candidates to take over the men's national team at this time, Bruce was at the top of the list," said the federation's president, Sunil Gulati. "His experience at the international level, understanding of the requirements needed to lead a team through World Cup qualifying, and proven ability to build a successful team were all aspects we felt were vital for the next coach.

"We all know Bruce will be fully committed to preparing the players for the next eight qualifying games and earning a berth to an eighth straight FIFA World Cup in Russia."

The 65-year-old famously led the U.S. to its finest World Cup finish in 80 years with a quarterfinal berth at the Japan and South Korea tournament in 2002. The silverware collected through handling D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls, and LA Galaxy at club level in Major League Soccer - five MLS Cups, three Supporters' Shields, a U.S. Open Cup, and a CONCACAF Champions' Cup triumph in 1998 - makes him the most decorated coach in the history of American soccer.

Arena's stint of over eight years with the Galaxy was winding down to the end of its latest contract, and he'll now instead look to add to the 71 wins he steered the States to in his previous 130 matches when overseeing his homeland between 1998 and 2006. Following consecutive losses against Mexico and Costa Rica to begin the fifth round of 2018 World Cup qualification, USMNT improvement needs to happen quickly.

Klinsmann was "1,000 percent sure" that a spot in the World Cup finals in Russia would be secured despite those recent setbacks, but that job is being left in some old hands for when the camp reconvenes in March.

"Any time you get the opportunity to coach the national team it's an honor," Arena declared at the unveiling. "I'm looking forward to working with a strong group of players that understand the challenge in front of them after the first two games of the Hex. Working as a team, I'm confident that we'll take the right steps forward to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia."

Arena's track record proves that he can prepare his ranks for a big occasion - he has more playoff wins than any other coach in MLS history. He'll be expected to promptly pull the U.S. from its bottom standing in the qualification table with wins against its next three opponents - Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago - before it faces a tough trip to Mexico on June 10.

National team supporters will hope to see the aspects that rankled during the Klinsmann era - the repeated tactical tweaks and shunning of legitimate MLS talent, for example - vanquished under Arena.

Related: 3 changes the USMNT can expect under Bruce Arena

The veteran gaffer's return to the U.S. dugout is slated for March 23, when Honduras travels stateside for the next round of qualifiers.

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