Matias Almeyda has earned some success during his time as a head coach in Mexico, but the current San Jose Earthquakes boss isn’t shy when it comes to his interests of being a National Team manager.
Almeyda is currently in his second season in MLS after joining San Jose in 2019. The Paraguayan helped the club improve drastically last season, despite missing out on the MLS Cup Playoffs and would be open to a move to the U.S. Men’s National Team down the road.
“Obviously I’d love to [manage the USMNT], coaching a national team is the maximum that can happen to a coach … and above all the United States and Mexico are national teams with a big future,” Almeyda told ESPN’s Ahora o Nunca.
Almeyda has yet to manage on the National scale, despite earning six trophies in his close to three years as manager of Liga MX Chivas de Guadalajara. Chivas lifted three Liga MX titles, two Copa MX crowns, one Mexican Super Cup and one Concacaf Champions League title with Almeyda in charge, before the 41-year-old left in June 2018.
Also serving as head coach of Argentinian sides River Plate and Banfield, Almeyda has posted a 125-81-71 all-time record. In just one short season, Almeyda helped the Earthquakes improve by 23 points, missing out on the playoffs by four points.
He hasn’t ruled out a possible future with the Mexican National Team as well, despite Tata Martino already leading El Tri to one Concacaf Gold Cup title as head coach.
“Mexican football isn’t shown in Europe, we went with Chivas and I have friends that follow me and if it wasn’t for them being my friends they wouldn’t have known anything of the history that Mexico has,” Almeyda said.
Gregg Berhalter’s reign as USMNT boss hasn’t been the prettiest, with the Americans losing to Mexico in the Gold Cup Final. In addition, the USMNT suffered its first defeat to Canada in 34 years last October in the Concacaf Nations League group stage.
Injuries to key players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Zack Steffen, and Tyler Adams hasn’t helped Berhalter’s cause, but the former Columbus Crew boss could be on thin ice if the Americans don’t win the Nations League after the summer semifinals were postponed.
As for Almeyda and the Earthquakes, they have yet to win in their opening two MLS matches this campaign and currently wait to see when the regular season will resume due to the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic.