Welcome back to MLS, Bruce Arena (and associate Dave Sarachan). And thanks, Los Angeles Galaxy, for inspiring this week's First XI, which takes a stroll down memory lane (in some cases not too far back) to chronicle some of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) midseason coaching switches in league history. Perhaps we should've known when Eddie Firmani was replaced just eight games into the inaugural season that these types of changes would become a league tradition as time went by.
11. Schellas Hyndman for Steve Morrow, FC Dallas, 2008: Obviously, the jury's still out and Hyndman has made it no secret that he's still got some tinkering to do with FCD, but if you're a fan of Big Tex you've got to be encouraged by some of the team's recent results, most notably a 4-0 thrashing of LA and a 2-0 road win against Toronto FC. It's safe to say that the courtship of the former SMU coach by FCD (and before that the Dallas Burn) ranks as the longest pursuit of a coach in league history.
10. Juan Carlos Osorio for Dave Sarachan, Chicago Fire, 2007: What can you say other than, "It was great while it lasted," which was not long. Osorio came into Chicago long enough to steady the team's defense, get the results needed to make the playoffs and pull off an upset of D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. So impressive was Osorio in that brief stint in charge that the New York Red Bulls had to have him.
9. Jason Kreis for John Ellinger, Real Salt Lake, 2007: Perhaps the most dramatic in-season coaching change in league history if only because Kreis, still a regular on the field for RSL, hung up his boots for a jacket and tie. And while Real's hold on its first-ever spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs is tenuous at best (like everything else in that conference where a two-game win streak turns you into superheroes), you have to believe the fans in Salt Lake are thrilled with their young field boss.
8. Frank Yallop for Steve Sampson, Los Angeles Galaxy, 2006: This one looked like a match made in heaven when Yallop rejoined his old San Jose mate, Landon Donovan, in Los Angeles, during the '06 season. Guess looks can be deceiving. Yallop never seemed totally comfortable as the Galaxy boss and when he saw the opportunity to jump back to the Bay and give it another go with the Quakes, he was gone.
7. Bruce Arena for Mo Johnston, New York, 2006: It was actually Richie Williams for Johnston in the beginning as Arena re-charged his battery following the 2006 World Cup, but when Arena took over, he could not have made a more emphatic entrance, as his Red Bulls trounced RSL 6-0 at Giants Stadium. Arena helped guide RBNY into the '06 playoffs and, after a lot of player moves, pushed the team into the playoffs again after a full-season in charge in '07. But, as we've seen through years, nothing lasts forever (or even close to it) in the Meadowlands. After a first-round exit, Arena and RBNY parted ways.
6. Steve Sampson for Sigi Schmid, Los Angeles, 2004: Sampson replaced Schmid, taking over a team that was in first-place team, which certainly put the late Doug Hamilton on the hot spot. And while Sampson's regular season record was nothing to write home about, it's hard to argue with the results he got in tournament play, as the Galaxy shocked everyone in MLS by taking the double.
5. Mo Johnston for Bob Bradley, MetroStars, 2005: With three games remaining in the regular season and the MetroStars in a virtual tie with Kansas City for the final playoff spot, GM Alexi Lalas decided Johnston, Bradley's assistant for three seasons, was the right man to lead the team over the final one-tenth of the regular season. After a road tie in Chicago, Johnston's Metros won on the road at D.C. and on the final day of the season at Chivas USA to secure the final postseason berth. Johnston tacked on a playoff victory and nearly led the Metros to an upset of New England in the playoffs. However, when the next season started, the 2006 Metro team was dismantled and renamed and Johnston was soon interviewing for a job in Toronto.
4. Hans Westerhof for Thomas Rongen, Chivas USA, 2005: This one's got to be the most unfair firing in league history as Rongen's hand was forced into drafting and acquiring players that would define the Chivas brand. The players were, quite simply, not good enough for the league and Rongen took the fall. Rongen did, however, stay on board with the club and played a big part in their reconstruction in 2006, and kept a smile on his face throughout. A class act all the way.
3. Bora Milutinovic for Alfonso Mondelo, MetroStars, 1998: Did I just say Westerhof for Rongen was the most unfair change ever? Well, Mondelo might have an argument as he was let go with one game -- one game! -- left in the regular season and his team already in the playoffs. Bora was brought in for his "tournament expertise" but the move did not pay dividends as Metro was ousted by Columbus. In 1999 when Bora got a full year to work his magic, well, let's just say Metro fans would prefer to strike that season from their memories.
2. Sigi Schmid for Octavio Zambrano, Los Angeles, 1999: Hey, this one was pretty unfair too! Zambrano, who took the Supporters' Shield in '98 with his explosive, run-and-gun team, was gone after a subpar start in 1999. Of course, we're not saying he was replaced by a questionable coach. On the contrary, Zambrano's ouster simply opened the door for Schmid, who guided the Galaxy to the '99 final, who's gone on to be one of the league's best coaches ever.
1.Ray Hudson for Iwo Wortmann, Miami, 2000: And who didn't think this one was a publicity stunt? Hudson, the Fusion's effervescent television analyst, came out of the booth to replace Wortmann and brought little more than his playing experience and enthusiasm to the sideline. Crazy! Well, not only was it a lot of fun in Fort Lauderdale for the rest of the 2000 season, a year later Hudson was putting together one of the league's most exciting teams ever ... the 2001 Fusion.
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