Bruce Arena (left) and Ben Alberto. (Photo courtesy of Michael Lewis)

By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

Just wanted to wish New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena a happy 70th birthday!

The above photo, Arena with fellow Nassau Community College goalkeeper Ben Alberto, was taken some five decades ago when they manned the nets.

Yes, we know that he looked like the Fifth Beatle but long hair was the thing at the time in the 1970s.

Arena went on to greater fame, as a two-sport start at Cornell University. He was an All-American in lacrosse.

I was a freshman at NCC when Arena was a sophomore.

As it turned out, I never saw him play soccer, but did I witnessed him compete on the Cornell University lax team when I attended Syracuse University.

Arena, of course, is the most successful U.S. men’s coach, club and country.

He guided the USMNT into the 1998 and 2002 World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals in the latter.

The Franklin Square, N.Y. native and former N.Y. Hota/Bavarian keeper also directed D.C. United and the LA Galaxy to MLS Cup titles and has the Revs pointed in the right direction. They are poised to take the Supporters Shield and are the early favorites to dance with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy Dec. 12.

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.