The old adage that "if you can't change the players, change the coach" came to mind once again as Bruce Arena's U.S. national team convened Monday in San Jose, California, ahead of Friday's high-stakes World Cup qualifier against Honduras and another in Panama next week.
No fewer than 13 of the names that occupied Arena's original 24-man list were also included on former manager Jurgen Klinsmann's final squad in November, when the Americans dropped their most recent pair of qualifiers for Russia 2018 to Mexico and Costa Rica, costing Klinsmann his job.
Several of those players have departed since then; keeper Brad Guzan was released to be with his wife, who gave birth to the couple's second child on Sunday night, while defender/midfielder Fabian Johnson (hamstring) and forward Bobby Wood (back) withdrew because of injuries.