Bruce Arena remains a "happy-go-lucky" coach as he prepares for his first competitive games in his second stint as manager of the U.S. national team, Tim Howard says.
Arena, who gave Howard his first senior international call-up when he previously coached the U.S. from 1998-2006, will lead the U.S. into a pair of World Cup qualifiers over the next week, with the nation's hopes of qualifying for Russia in 2018 still in the balance.
But Howard says Arena hasn't let the pressure get to him and creates an atmosphere that makes players want to give their all.
"He's happy-go-lucky. He's always got a joke. He's famous for his jokes, whether they're funny or not," Howard said in an interview with ESPN's Julie Stewart-Binks.
"The thing about Bruce that I love, even when I was a kid -- I was 22 when I first started playing for him -- he asks everything on the field. Then he kind of lets you live your life, do what you wanna do, but when you step across those lines, he asks everything."
Arena was hired after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired following two straight defeats to open the final round of CONCACAF qualifying in November, but Howard said the dynamics within the team have not changed much since the coaching change.
"Not necessarily," Howard said. "I think everybody's on their terms when a new coach comes in, which is a good thing. There's some apprehension and, 'What's this guy like?', 'What does he want?', 'Where do I fit within the mold of the team?', and I think that's a good thing. It some creates new challenges."
Arena also gave an international debut to Clint Dempsey, a fact for which the Seattle Sounders forward remains thankful.
"Yeah it's great because Bruce is the first one who's ever brought me into the national team when he was coaching back in 2004," Dempsey said.
"Without him giving me that opportunity, I wouldn't have been able to get my first men's national team cap, play in WCQ games, play in a World Cup, score in a World Cup.
"I learned a lot under him so it's great to have him back and hopefully doing well under him so we'll see."
And Dempsey agreed that Arena's sense of humor hasn't changed a bit after a decade of coaching in Major League Soccer.
"He stayed the same to be honest with you," Dempsey said. "He was always a guy to joke around, but also when it was time for business he was serious in how to get the team prepared and get everyone motivated.
"I think he's always stayed who he is and I think that's why he's always been a great coach with every team he's been a part of."