Beckham was the most high-profile omission from Stuart Pearce's squad for the London Games, and Arena said he felt sorry for the midfielder.

When asked if Beckham's omission was a bonus for his side given his increased availability, Arena replied: "That is not our way of looking at it, I don't think we gain anything from him being dropped.

"We feel his pain and we wanted him to participate in the Team GB Olympic squad and it is unfortunate he is not."

Arena hit out at the refereeing during his side's 4-3 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

Chris Wondolowski scored the winner for San Jose just after the hour mark in the thrilling match, but Arena feels the referee, Hilario Grajeda, did not have a great day.

"I personally thought the referee did a very poor job for the entire game, in terms of the rhythm of the game and allowing a lot of time-wasting and did a really terrible job at the end," he said.

"I think he missed at least one handball in that game. There was a lot of frustration. It is not an excuse for our result but there is reason to be frustrated."

Despite the loss, Arena said the fans were treated to an exciting affair at Stanford Stadium.

"It was a nice day for the fans in the San Jose," Arena said. "I think they enjoyed the game because anytime there is seven goals in one match, fans think it is a great game."