Dave Sarachan (right) when he coached the Chicago Fire back in 2005. (Andy Mead/YCJ Photo)

By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

For years, Dave Sarachan has been the trusted first lieutenant of U.S. national men’s head coach Bruce Arena.

Next month, he will get to become the No. 1 man of the U.S. national side.

Sarachan Tuesday was named the interim head coach of the squad for the team’s international friendly against Portugal in Leiria, Portugal Nov. 14.

U.S. Under-20 national coach Tab Ramos had been rumored as a leading candidate for the interim job.

The 63-year-old Sarachan was Arena’s assistant coach during the latter’s first tenure with the national team from 1999-2002 before he took over the Chicago Fire’s head coaching reins from 2002-2007. He directed the Windy City squad to the 2003 MLS Cup final.

He teammed up with Arena again with the LA Galaxy from 2008-2016 as the Rochester, N.Y. native became associate coach.

When Arena became head coach of the national side last November, Sarachan moved over with him.

Arena resigned earlier this week in the wake of the U.S.’s 2-1 loss at Trinidad & Tobago and failure to reach the World Cup for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The remainder of the current technical staff with guide the team in its final match of the year against third-ranked Portugal.

Arena’s successor likely won’t be named until after U.S. Soccer’s presidential election, which will take place at the organization’s Annual General Meeting in Orlando, Fla. in February.

 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.