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sports Saturday 14 OctOber 2017

Arena quits

Continued from Page 17 pay-to-play model to the
role of education and uni-
The USSF, which will miss the versities,” he said. “Where
World Cup for the first time we need to make major
since 1986, said it will an- changes, we’ll do that.
nounce within 10 days an Where we need to make
interim coach for planned incremental changes, we’ll
exhibition games next do that. We’ll take our time
month. with that and unfortunately
Gulati, speaking during a we have the luxury of time
telephone news confer- before we have competi-
ence, said he did not plan tive games again with the
to resign. He said it was senior team.”
not the right time to talk A 66-year-old member of
about whether he will seek the U.S. National Soccer Hall
a fourth four-year term Feb. of Fame, Arena coached
10 during the federation’s the U.S. from 1998-2006, in-
annual meeting but did cluding a trip to the 2002
say in recent weeks he had World Cup quarterfinals,
sent letters to people seek- the best American finish In this April 10, 2017, file photo, Sunil Gulati, President of the United States Soccer Federation,
ing to be nominated. since the first tournament in attends a news conference in New York.
“This is a big shock to the 1930. He was fired by Gulati Associated Press
system. We understand after group-stage elimina- A 4-0 home win over Pan- in the hexagonal. Panama get to where the program
that. We understand how tion in 2006, then brought ama last week put the climbed to third and quali- got at the end where we
much frustration, anger, back last November after U.S. back in position for an fied, and fourth-place Hon- could have qualified. So to
disappointment, hurt there a 0-2 start in the final round eighth straight World Cup duras will meet Australia in say a lack of desire I think is
is,” he said. of qualifying in the North trip and the Americans a playoff next month for a insane. You hear that. You
Gulati said the federa- and Central American re- needed only a draw at berth. “I don’t know how hear all the stupid stuff days
tion held a board meet- gion under Jurgen Klins- Trinidad. After months of anyone could ever say after, but for whatever rea-
ing Thursday night and will mann. The Americans were constant lineup changes, lack of desire. I think that’s son we played very poorly
seek “outside expertise” unbeaten in their first 14 Arena kept the same 11 a terrible statement. It re- in the first half against Trini-
as it evaluates what went games under Arena, win- starters, and the Americans ally is,” Arena said. “This is dad, and it cost us.”
wrong. “We’ll look at ev- ning their third CONCACAF fell behind by two goals in a group of guys with a lot Arena was 10-2-6 in his sec-
erything, from our player Gold Cup under him, but the first half. of character. They came ond term, leaving him with
development programs to they lost a home qualifier to With three wins, four losses into 2017 with not the odds an 81-32-35 record and
our coaching to our refer- Costa Rica 2-0 last month, and three ties, the U.S. fin- in their favor to qualify. It the most wins among U.S.
eeing to our facilities to the putting a berth in danger. ished fifth among six teams took a lot of hard work to coaches. q

Perez leads CIMB Classic

by 1 at halfway stage

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia maiden U.S. PGA Tour title fect. Cloudy, no wind.
(AP) — Pat Perez led by one in 2015 seems a tall order. “I didn’t think I really played
stroke halfway through the Two bogeys compounded that well. I got off to a slow
CIMB Classic after carding by a double bogey on the start, I was 1 over through
a 7-under-par 65 around a 12th meant Thomas was 10 four. We had the break,
four-hour delay for rain on shots behind Perez, at 3 un- and ... I like the front (nine),
Friday. Fellow American der for the tournament. I play better on the front.”
golfer Xander Schauffele Perez, meanwhile, was Kang Sunghoon of South Xander Schauffele of United States in action during the second
was on Perez’s tail after a hoping for more gusty Korea (68), Thomas Piet- day of the CIMB Classic golf tournament at Tournament Players
Club (TPC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Oct. 13, 2017.
long-range eagle on the winds and rain after mak- ers of Germany (67) and Associated Press
third hole set up his 5-under ing eight birdies, including overnight leader Cameron
67. Defending champion four in a row. He’s at 13-un- Smith of Australia (71) were “Everything’s kind of com- couple of weird drops. But
Justin Thomas had another der 131 overall. tied for third, four shots off ing easy,” Schauffele said. they all kind of went my
poor round by his high stan- “I don’t want sunshine at the pace at 9 under. “Today was one of those way.”
dards, a 71. A three-peat all. It’s too hot, way too Tour rookie of the year weird days where (I had) More unsettled weath-
on the TPC Kuala Lum- hot,” Perez said. “I like it just Schauffele said he was all the breaks. I had some er is expected over the
pur where he clinched his the way it is right now, per- comfortable. squirrely tee shots and a weekend.q