Liga MX side Club América is hoping to get back among the title challengers next season in Mexico and reportedly could be making a major coaching hire to shake things up.
Gregg Berhalter is among Club America’s managerial options this summer, TUDN reported Tuesday. Berhalter is high on the Mexican’s club radar, joining Atletico San Luis manager Andre Jardine in consideration, according to the report.
The news comes one day after Berhalter was also linked with the opening at Dutch Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam. Berhalter played for the Dutch club from 1996-99 and would take over for Maurice Steijn, who moved to Ajax after leading Rotterdam to an impressive sixth place finish.
Berhalter was linked with English Football League Championship side Swansea City earlier this spring.
The 49-year-old Berhalter has been without a job since his contract with the U.S. men’s national team expired at the end of December. Berhalter registered a 37-12-11 record in 60 matches in charge of the USMNT, winning the 2021 Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup titles.
The former USMNT defender and Columbus Crew head coach also led the Americans to FIFA World Cup Qualification in 2022, leading them to the Round of 16.
Club America reached the semifinals in both of the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura seasons, but failed to bring home titles on either occasion.
Current USMNT attacker Alex Zendejas enjoyed a positive season for Club America, scoring 10 goals and registering four assists in 34 combined appearances.
Former Club America manager Fernando Ortiz left the club in May, moving to fellow Mexican club Monterrey.
based on hammarby i am not going to exaggerate expectations but i think it’s important for the US coaching fraternity that he takes a “next job after” better than North Carolina FC or Al-Markhiya SC. bradley had the job where you could catapult to coaching decent other NT and in europe. klinsmann eventually took a german job and then south korea. have some ambition just so our job looks good and not like a cul de sac.
personally i think he’d be better in holland with his tactics than mexico or even here. that is the source of this baby pep stuff and their weak defenses will let his teams pass. america i think a pressing team at altitude sounds silly. you will run your lungs off and if you’ve ever played someplace like colorado, the ball up high flies forever. so it’s a dumb place to press.
GB has more than just pressing in his d tactics bag…see the WC, the final vs. Mexico last year, etc.
the pressing could work sometimes, but totally agree at altitude makes little sense. he’d have to set things up differently depending on things, like vs. England, remember? attack up the flanks, and don’t turn it over in the middle to allow opponent to launch the counter with numbers; at the same time, force opposition to the flanks in their attack and look to clear or launch counter with switching the point when we recover, or if we recover in the middle channel, look to counter haaaaaaard up either flank to open up the middle as the game wears on, for guys like Musah Weston Gio to drive thru there if/when the opponent is forced to compensate.
USMNT has attacked defensively (even tho this isn’t pressing!) just like that vs. Mexico very successfully for a couple of decades; big key is owning the middle channel in our final 3rd after forcing service from the flanks, which typically, the USMNT has done quite effectively vs. Mexico. the pressing piece has come but as the game evolves, so must those ideas defensively; it was an adjustment to teams forcing play out of the back, basically if you want to always play out of the back, e’re going to look to turn you over up high with your least skilled ball handlers forced to handle
teams have adjusted, good teams crush most pressing now
but GB has shown he’s not a one trick pony tactically, whatever one thinks of his results, abilities, coaching history, etc.
Probably a good location to possess the ball and make the defense chase you around then. Ole! Elevation is generally more of a factor for visiting teams not the home team. The home team acclimates because they live and train at altitude. The other factor is most of the teams in Liga Mx are at a mile high or higher.
I hope he takes on a different job. Gain some more experiences maybe coach the USMNT again in the future after some time in club ball.
Sparta Rotterdam where he played seemed more likely to me. It would be interesting to see how the fan base would support him I guess.
The more American managers we have abroad the better.
I would think Gregg would be very comfortable at Rotterdam.