Tag: Gregg Berhalter

U.S. Soccer sporting director Crocker wants Berhalter replacement by September

Crocker is targeting a two-month coaching search, but has plans in place if it goes longer

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has said he would ideally like to have a new U.S. men’s national team head coach in place by September.

U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday that Gregg Berhalter would be relieved of his duties, nine days after a loss to Uruguay confirmed a stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

In U.S. Soccer’s announcement, Crocker said that the search for Berhalter’s replacement was already underway. In a call with reporters later on Wednesday, the sporting director said he was targeting September’s FIFA window — which will see the USMNT face Canada on Sept. 7 and New Zealand three days later — to have a new coach in place.

However, Crocker added that he had “a really robust contingency plan” in place if a new coach wasn’t hired by then.

The length of U.S. Soccer’s search will be a major talking point after the team’s past two USMNT coaching hires have come at end of elongated processes.

Bruce Arena resigned in November 2017 after the team’s stunning failure to reach the 2018 World Cup, but Berhalter was not named as his successor for 13 months.

After Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022, it would be another six months (which included a major scandal) until U.S. Soccer ultimately decided to re-hire him for a second stint.

This time, Crocker is hoping to shorten that timeframe down to two months. As far as which coach actually comes in, Crocker said that money and nationality would not be limiting factors.

“We are looking for a serial winning coach, a coach that can also build on the work that has already been put in place,” Crocker said.

“I just want to get the best coach possible that can help the team win,” Crocker added. “Whether they’re from the U.S. or elsewhere.

“It’s a really competitive market out there, salary-wise, and we have to be competitive to get the level of coach that I believe can take the program forward in terms of achieving the results that we want on the field.”

[lawrence-related id=77832,77602,77799]

After USMNT firing, Berhalter takes ‘full responsibility’ for Copa America failure

Berhalter admitted that the tournament had been “extremely disappointing”

Gregg Berhalter has released a statement in the wake of his firing as U.S. men’s national team head coach, admitting that an “extremely disappointing” Copa América paved the way for his dismissal.

U.S. Soccer confirmed Berhalter’s exit on Wednesday, nine days after a loss to Uruguay confirmed a stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

The USMNT was expected to make a statement in the tournament on home soil, but instead crashed out after an opening-game win was followed by a shock defeat to Panama and then the loss to Uruguay.

The result ultimately made Berhalter’s position untenable, with former players, pundits, media members and supporters all calling for a change.

In his statement, Berhalter said he took “full responsibility” for the team’s disappointing showing at the Copa.

“I want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for entrusting me to lead this team for the past five years — representing our country is a tremendous honor and I am proud of the identity we have built on and off the field,” Berhalter said. “It was very gratifying watching this team improve over the years and I remain grateful for the lifetime bonds created with our players, coaches, and staff members.

“The Copa América result is extremely disappointing and I take full responsibility for our performance. Our approach and process was always focused on the 2026 World Cup and I remain confident that this group will be one of the great stories in 2026.”

Berhalter’s second tenure as head coach ended just one year after it began, as the USMNT suffered six defeats in 14 games after he was re-hired in June 2023.

Overall, Berhalter compiled a 44W-17L-13D record in 74 matches as USMNT head coach.

U.S. Soccer said that a search for Berhalter’s replacement is already underway.

[lawrence-related id=77786,77347,77220]

USMNT very conveniently leaked Gregg Berhalter’s firing just as England advanced to the Euro 2024 Final

What a shameless news dump by the USMNT.

On Wednesday, USMNT soccer leaked it had fired disappointing manager Gregg Berhalter, per Fox Soccer reporter Doug McIntyre.

The news is hardly surprising for anyone who followed the United States’ disspiriting era under Berhalter, especially during a flat Copa America loss where he was content not to lose. Once Tim Howard started lobbying for Jürgen Klopp, the writing was on the wall. So, of course the US will ideally be looking for a better manager.

The catch is that Berhalter’s firing leaked at the same time that actual international power England was celebrating a berth in the 2024 Euro Final. Why, it’s almost as if the Americans were hoping the soccer world would focus on England’s joy instead of making fun of them for firing a failed manager.

Hmm, what curious timing for a news dump!

If USMNT leaders were indeed trying to avoid the worst of any international criticism with the timing of Berhalter’s firing, they probably succeeded. For the next day or so, everyone will be talking about England.

However, they will be sorely disappointed if they also hoped to avoid criticism from American soccer pundits and fans. That’s not how it works.

Gregg Berhalter sacked as USMNT head coach

A group-stage exit at the Copa America proved too much for Berhalter to overcome

Gregg Berhalter’s time as U.S. men’s national team head coach has come to an end.

Fox Sports first reported that Berhalter has been dismissed in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América, which was confirmed last week with a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay.

U.S. Soccer confirmed the reports shortly thereafter, releasing a statement on Wednesday.

“I want to thank Gregg for his hard work and dedication to U.S. Soccer and our men’s national team,” said U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone. “We are now focused on working with our sporting director Matt Crocker and leveraging his experience at the highest levels of the sport to ensure we find the right person to lead the USMNT into a new era of on-field success.”

Berhalter, in a statement supplied by U.S. Soccer to media, claimed “full responsibility” for the early Copa exit.

“I want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for entrusting me to lead this team for the past five years,” read Berhalter’s statement. “Representing our country is a tremendous honor and I am proud of the identity we have built on and off the field.

“It was very gratifying watching this team improve over the years and I remain grateful for the lifetime bonds created with our players, coaches, and staff members. The Copa América result is extremely disappointing and I take full responsibility for our performance. Our approach and process was always focused on the 2026 World Cup and I remain confident that this group will be one of the great stories in 2026.”

Per the federation, Crocker has been tabbed with the task of hiring Berhalter’s replacement, a search U.S. Soccer says is already underway.

“Gregg has earned the respect of everyone within our organization and has played a pivotal role in bringing together a young team and moving the program forward,” said Crocker. “Our immediate focus is on finding a coach who can maximize our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and we have already begun our search process.”

Berhalter had been under increasing pressure following the Copa, with former players, pundits, media members and supporters all calling for a change.

The move caps a stunning reversal just one year after U.S. Soccer re-hired Berhalter with the express aim of taking the team through the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022, leaving his status unknown after the USMNT exited the 2022 World Cup in the last 16. A salacious scandal involving Claudio and Danielle Reyna would follow, which appeared to end any chance Berhalter had of regaining his old position.

However, after an extensive search process, U.S. Soccer confirmed that Berhalter would return to the position he had already held for four years.

But results since Berhalter’s reappointment have been disappointing, with the coach under major pressure even before the U.S. embarked on an ultimately doomed Copa América campaign.

Fox Sports added that U.S. Soccer figures to have a new, full-time coach in place before the next USMNT fixture, which is a September 7 friendly against Canada.

[lawrence-related id=77595,77434,77418]

U.S. Soccer decision over USMNT coach Berhalter reportedly set for next week

U.S. Soccer is prepared to move much more quickly on deciding Berhalter’s future this time around

U.S. Soccer is not going to keep people waiting over whether a U.S. men’s national team coaching change is on the way.

Fox Sports reported Friday that the federation will make a decision next week over whether Gregg Berhalter will continue as the USMNT’s head coach.

Berhalter has been under fire after the USMNT exited the 2024 Copa América in the group stage.

That outcome is well below federation expectations, and falls well short of pre-tournament talk from multiple players who broached the prospect of winning the Copa América for the first time ever.

Supporters groups have called for U.S. Soccer to dismiss Berhalter, as has former USYNT coach Tab Ramos. Multiple ex-USMNT stars turned pundits have already moved beyond calling for Berhalter’s ouster, focusing instead on prospective successors.

The turnaround time for an announcement would be in line with how things went on the U.S. women’s national team side last year. Former USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski stepped down from his post 11 days after the team’s round-of-16 exit at the 2023 World Cup, the program’s all-time worst performance in the tournament.

That was a major shift away from the long wait that came after the 2022 World Cup. Berhalter’s contract ended shortly after the tournament, which was played late in the year over concerns due to the summer heat in Qatar.

Multiple top decision-makers at U.S. Soccer departed as well, delaying the federation’s attempts to complete its tournament analysis. Further complicating matters, Berhalter became embroiled in a controversy involving Gio Reyna and his parents that played out in the weeks that followed.

In the end, it took over six months before U.S. Soccer announced that Berhalter would carry on after all.

Since then, the USMNT has remained the dominant force in Concacaf, much as it was throughout Berhalter’s first tenure. However, the pressure has been on the USMNT to take the next step and become a real threat to the world’s best.

Watch Fox’s report on Berhalter, USMNT

[lawrence-related id=77434,77285,77059]

USMNT great Ramos urges U.S. Soccer to replace Berhalter with foreign coach

The former USMNT assistant couldn’t quite believe Berhalter was brought back in the first place

U.S. men’s national team legend Tab Ramos has urged U.S. Soccer to replace Gregg Berhalter with an international coach who’s “been there and done that.”

Berhalter is under major pressure after the USMNT crashed out of the Copa América at the group stage, with calls for his sacking coming from pundits, ex-players and fans alike.

The coach was only re-hired last summer after an extensive global search, returning to the team he had guided from 2018 through the 2022 World Cup.

Berhalter was brought back in part due to a positive showing in Qatar, where a young U.S. squad got through the group phase before bowing out in the last 16 against the Netherlands.

In an interview with Soccer America, Ramos admitted he was surprised to see U.S. Soccer run it back with Berhalter, stating his belief that the team’s World Cup was nothing to write home about.

“Overall, the team performance [at the World Cup] left much to be desired. It would have been a perfect time to bring in a new coach, to bring in new ideas and push this team to be better. I was very surprised by the re-hire of Berhalter. I did not see how the team would improve, it was becoming a team with no big wins, and it was becoming stale,” Ramos said.

Ramos, who played at three World Cups for the USMNT before serving as U-20 national team head coach and a senior national team assistant, added that he thinks the federation is getting too caught up with overhauling the USMNT while losing sight of what matters most: winning games.

With a home World Cup in 2026 on the horizon, the 57-year-old said it’s time to get back to basics.

“I hope we go after an international coach,” Ramos added. “We just need somebody to come in for 18 months who knows the World Cup and can prepare this team the best he can to give this team the best shot at having a great World Cup. That’s it. No learning-on-the-job person. Someone who has been there and done that. Win as much as possible at the World Cup, and then we will see what happens.

“After the World Cup, if U.S. Soccer chooses, we can embark on another ‘project’ with analytics, presentations, and all of the new buzzwords that there will be in 2026 to show how we will develop into the future. But, right now, with a World Cup at home we need to win games.”

[lawrence-related id=77418,77285,77059]

Klopp for USMNT? Lalas, Howard urge U.S. Soccer to approach ex-Liverpool boss

It might seem like a longshot, but the players-turned-pundits both want Klopp to be the next USMNT coach

Jürgen Klopp may be the ultimate pipe dream for U.S. men’s national team fans, but don’t tell ex-USMNT stars Tim Howard and Alexi Lalas.

With U.S. Soccer facing increasing pressure to dismiss coach Gregg Berhalter after the team’s embarrassing early exit from the 2024 Copa América, both Howard and Lalas went public in urging the federation to pursue Klopp.

The former Liverpool manager, who won six major trophies during an outstanding nine-year run at Anfield, has made no public pronouncements about interest in the USMNT job (or any other national team post).

That hasn’t stopped fans and pundits in the U.S. for citing him as the top target for U.S. Soccer.

“If you’re not going to go big, it flies in the face of what America is — we want big, we want bold, and dare I say we want arrogant in the things that we do, in particular in terms of maximizing the summer of 2026,” Lalas told the New York Post in an interview.

“Someone like Jürgen Klopp is out there. I know people scoff at the idea of someone with his pedigree and background would ever consider doing this. But until you have the conversation, you don’t know.”

Howard pledges in-person pitch to Klopp

Where Lalas was simply interested in U.S. Soccer touching base with Klopp, Howard went much further.

“If I was in charge of U.S. Soccer right now, I’d be on my way to the airport. Why? Because I believe I could make a very compelling argument to Jürgen Klopp,” wrote Howard in an opinion column in the Daily Mail.

“After the disappointment of Copa América, after the United States lost to Uruguay and exited at the group stages, I will personally fly to Spain. I mean it.

“I know Klopp has only been retired a few weeks and I know he wants a break. But if we sat around his villa in Spain, I think I could lure him over here. 100 percent.

“The money is certainly there. So my pitch would be simple: he has a young group of players who can play progressive, front-foot soccer, exactly like his Liverpool teams. And in two years’ time he can go to the biggest World Cup in history.”

Howard’s insistence that the money will be there might be a stretch. Klopp reportedly made $19.1 million per season at the end of his Liverpool contract.

By comparison, World Cup bonuses took Berhalter’s contract for 2022 up to $2.3 million.

[lawrence-related id=77285,77214,77059]

Tim Howard is already trying to convince Jürgen Klopp to replace Gregg Berhalter as USMNT coach

Tim Howard is dreaming BIG.

When U.S. Soccer rehired Gregg Berhalter to coach the U.S. men’s national team after an expectation-meeting World Cup and scandal-ridden aftermath, the decision was an obvious mistake. That ill-advised move was only exacerbated when the USMNT got eliminated in the group stage of the Copa America on home soil this week.

Now, even one of the best players in USMNT history is calling for a change. In fact, he already has a replacement in mind.

In a guest column for the Daily Mail, former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard said that he would personally fly to Spain to recruit now-former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp to take over for Berhalter and urged USSF technical director Matt Crocker to do the same.

Klopp, 57, retired from coaching following this past Premier League season. He’s had success at virtually every stop in his managing career — which included Liverpool’s first Premier League title (the club had 19 top-division titles that preceded the Premier League).

According to Howard, he thinks the opportunity to coach a talented USMNT squad in a home World Cup would be intriguing to Klopp. It is far less demanding on a day-to-day basis to coach internationally than at a club because you’re only working with players during FIFA windows and the club offseason. Klopp has already coached USMNT captain Christian Pulisic at Borussia Dortmund and has spoken highly of his talent.

Still, Klopp would be a pipe dream for U.S. Soccer. For one, Berhalter — as of now — is still the USMNT head coach. This is the same federation that refused to even interview established international coaches like Marcelo Bielsa, Juan Carlos Osorio or Tata Martino in the past. There’s no reason to think the USSF would suddenly take an aggressive approach in convincing arguably a top 3 coach in the world to come aboard.

And let’s say that U.S. Soccer managed to get Klopp’s attention, money will likely end up being a huge factor here. Klopp made upwards of $20 million per season with Liverpool. Berhalter makes makes about $2.3 million annually. And there are conflicting reports as to whether USWNT head coach Emma Hayes’ salary would be tied to a potential new USMNT coach. Currently, Hayes and Berhalter take in equal salaries.

We’ll have to see if U.S. Soccer takes Howard’s advice here as it would be the right move. It just won’t be easy — or even realistic.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=4855122]

Largest U.S. Soccer supporters group calls for Berhalter to be fired

The move will only increase the pressure on the beleaguered USMNT boss

The American Outlaws (AO) have released a statement calling on U.S. Soccer to fire U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Berhalter has seen his job called into question after the USMNT suffered a stunning early exit from the Copa América, finishing third in a group that also included Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia.

With big expectations for the tournament on home soil, the USMNT instead fell flat, leading many to question whether the federation errored when it reappointed Berhalter as head coach last summer.

As many fans and pundits have called for U.S. Soccer to make a change, AO joined the chorus by releasing a statement on Wednesday.

AO is the largest U.S. Soccer supporters group, boasting more than 30,000 members and 200 chapters worldwide.

In its statement, the group said:

As the largest supporters group of the U.S. National Soccer Teams, we love our National Teams and will always show our support for them in the stands, in hundreds of communities across the country, and above all else, in our hearts.

There needs to be accountability and a plan to move forward for the USMNT. It’s time to make a change in the head coaching position.

Our Copa América is over too soon. It was a moment to show progress for the USMNT’s aspirations, create thousands of lifelong new fans, and build energy ahead of the World Cup in communities nationwide. We will always passionately support the players and can see this team’s full potential.

As an organization, we have heard from our members and chapter leaders that the USMNT needs change. American soccer fandom is ready to reach levels we’ve never seen before, but we continue to miss opportunities.

Every game isn’t just about the result. It’s an opportunity to capture America’s attention and build an everlasting bond between new fans and the team. It’s an opportunity to compel new fans to put on the game and lasting fans to share the team with others.

But, change is necessary to prepare to compete at a home World Cup. We cannot miss this incredible chance to create a lasting impact on the game of soccer in this country, and we feel that a new head coach is an important step at this point.

After the USMNT’s defeat to Uruguay on Monday night, U.S. Soccer technical director Matt Crocker released a statement saying the federation would undertake a review of the tournament before deciding its next step.

“Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations. We must do better. We will be conducting a comprehensive review of our performance in Copa América and how best to improve the team and results as we look towards the 2026 World Cup,” Crocker said.

AO was not the only supporters group to call for Berhalter’s ouster, as Barra 76 also released a statement on Tuesday that said: “We demand change to invigorate our team’s competitive edge and inspire pride amongst fans. We believe replacing Gregg Berhalter as head coach of the USMNT is essential to revitalizing our national team’s strategy and achieving the results our players and supporters deserve.”

[lawrence-related id=77220,77214,77059]

‘We won championships and we hated our coaches’ – Lloyd says USMNT too comfortable under Berhalter

The USWNT legend believes that players aren’t being held accountable under Berhalter

Carli Lloyd has questioned whether the U.S. men’s national team has become too comfortable under Gregg Berhalter, saying that the U.S. women’s national team won titles under coaches they “hated.”

The USMNT suffered a stunning early exit from the Copa América, losing 1-0 to Uruguay on Monday night to confirm that it wouldn’t advance beyond the group stage.

That result led to calls for Berhalter to be sacked as USMNT head coach just one year after U.S. Soccer confirmed he would be re-hired for another World Cup cycle.

Berhalter has always been popular with his players, many of whom publicly backed him to return to his previous position last year.

Speaking on FS1 after Monday’s game, USWNT legend Lloyd said that Berhalter’s popularity with his group wasn’t necessarily a positive — especially after such a disappointing tournament.

“My concern is just how comfortable these players are with Berhalter,” Lloyd said. “I mean, we won championships and we hated our coaches!

“I’m not saying you have to hate your coach, but I question how comfortable it is inside that locker room. Are they being pushed? Are they being held accountable? And it doesn’t look like that from the outside looking in.”

Lloyd, of course, didn’t expand on which coaches she and her teammates “hated,” but she won a number of titles with the USWNT under several different coaches.

The longtime USWNT star won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, both under Pia Sundhage, while her two World Cup titles came under Jill Ellis in 2015 and 2019. She also won trophies under Greg Ryan, Tom Sermanni and Vlatko Andonovski.

Lloyd had notable issues with both Sundhage and Ellis, both of whom used the midfielder/forward as a substitute at various stages of their tenures — much to the player’s chagrin.

Watch Lloyd discuss Berhalter

[lawrence-related id=77214,77059,77109]