Galaxy’s Bruce Arena jokes about a presidential bid

Expectations for the Galaxy are so high this year, a reporter asked Coach Bruce Arena on Friday if he was worried about getting fired.

And the Major League Soccer season doesn’t even start for two more days.

But if he does get canned -- a longshot since that would be a decision for the general manager, a position he also holds -- Arena already has a backup plan after watching Thursday’s Republican debate.

“I’m running for president on the Republican side,” he joked Friday. “If I get fired in the next couple of months, I still have enough time, probably to get that nomination.”

As Donald Trump would say, that would be YUGE! But how would Bruce Arena govern?

Judging from the way he’s managed his soccer teams, Arena as U.S. president would almost certainly favor a strong defense. But he would also develop a quick-strike attack that could evade detection, in the mold of a Landon Donovan or Robbie Keane.

An Arena administration would, based on his track record, spend a lot of money. But it would use that budget wisely. And judging from the Galaxy’s current roster, Arena would be in favor of opening immigration since his team has a Bosnian, an African, six Europeans, three Mexicans and four other Latin Americans.

He would also run on a platform of equality for the LBGT community, having made Robbie Rogers the first openly gay man to play in a major professional team sport in the U.S.

And considering how Arena has butted heads with U.S. Soccer and MLS executives over the years, it’s clear he would not be a candidate favored by the establishment.

Should Arena keep his current job through the primaries, however, there is another employment option that would involve less stress than the presidency and would pay much better.

“My real goal is to sign myself to a five-year guaranteed contract and then fire myself,” he said. “If I can do that I’ve really accomplished a lot.”