Timo Werner has found his role, and his form: MLS weekend wrap

Timo Werner celebrates his second goal for San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park. Photograph: Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/Getty Images In his near-30-year run as a head coach in the elite tier of American soccer, Bruce Arena has never claimed to be a tactical genius. In fact he has expressed open contempt for the concept, routinely brushing off well-meaning questions from journalists about formations and strategic approaches.

He once memorably said that “we have a very important analytic, and that’s the score. ” It’s an attitude that’s almost wholly out of step with the way managers operate in 2026. Arena gets away with it because he wins, and he wins in large part because of the way he sets out the roles and expectations for his players.

Robbie Keane, Arena’s star striker at LA Galaxy, once called him the “Sir Alex Ferguson of America. ” Matt Turner, who during Arena’s tenure at the New England Revolution rose to be a USMNT starter, praised the “super powerful thing” Arena offers his players through man management. Related: A calendar flip away from summer could do more harm than good for the NWSL | Jeff Rueter “When you have 25 guys that are on the same page, they know their role, and they know what they can do to help the team the best, it’s a beautiful thing and it creates this energy around the locker room that boosts everyone’s play,” Turner told the New England Revolution website in 2021.

“It really simplifies the game so when you’re in higher-pressure moments you can execute. ” Judging from the 2026 MLS season so far, Timo Werner may have similar things to say. The German moved to MLS at the start of this year after a couple down seasons with RB Leipzig, the club where he first made his name as one of Europe’s most in-demand strikers.