The U.S. men’s national team’s group stage elimination from the 2024 Copa America was its earliest exit in a competition under Gregg Berhalter and despite the frustration from Monday’s loss to Uruguay, key members of the team continue to have support over their head coach.
Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie were two USMNT players who went the distance in Monday’s 1-0 defeat at Arrowhead Stadium, a result that ended the Americans’ Copa America involvement after three matches. Paired with Panama’s 3-1 victory over Bolivia, the USMNT were left stunned as the competition they have been excited to host for the first time since 2016, will no longer see them included in this summer.
After back-to-back losses to Panama and Uruguay respectively, the USMNT now heads into a period of uncertainty, wondering if Berhalter will be retained as head coach heading into the September-October friendlies and November’s CONCACAF Nations League schedule.
“Just to see the guys’ faces in the locker room and to see the emotion of the staff and players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the results,” Berhalter said postmatch. “We know we’re capable of more, and in this tournament, we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that.
“You look at the stage that was set with the fans in this tournament, with the high level of competition in this tournament, and we should have done better,” he added. “We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now, for sure.”
The USMNT re-hired Berhalter last summer after a lengthy hiring process was led by USSF sporting director Matt Crocker. Berhalter had won 37 of his 60 matches in charge of the USMNT during his first spell as head coach, leading the Americans to key victories over Mexico in both Nations League and Gold Cup play.
In addition, the USMNT did make their World Cup return in 2022, advancing out of the group stage alongside England, only to be eliminated 3-1 by the Netherlands in the Round of 16. Friendly losses to both Germany and Colombia, paired with recent defeats in the Copa America group stage have led to fans and media alike judging whether or not Berhalter should be the coach going forward, but both Adams and McKennie voiced their support of the 50-year-old staying in his position.
“We all have a comfortability with Gregg, and we all understand him; we’ve had him for a long time,” McKennie said of Berhalter. “He’s progressed the team very far from where we started off four or five years ago, and I think the connection that we have with him is important, and having a coach — players that would run through a brick wall for him, listen to him. Whatever happens, happens, but I think if he’s the coach, we’re all happy.”
“I absolutely have faith in him,” Adams said of Berhalter. “I don’t think it’s a coach’s job in a lot of situations. You know, we put a game plan in place; guys need to follow the game plan, of course, but you’re a footballer at the end of the day. How many times have you played the game? You need to be able to find solutions on the field, as well. He’s stuck with us through a lot of tough moments; I think we’re going to stick with him, as well. I think that’s important.”
For now, most of the European-based players will receive a deserved break while the MLS contingent will return to their clubs for the continuation of their league schedules. Berhalter remains the USMNT head coach for now, and presumably will also receive a short break of his own before preparing for the September international window (friendlies vs. Canada and New Zealand on home soil).
However, Crocker confirmed after Monday’s loss that USSF will be conducting a review of the USMNT’s early exit from the Copa America, showing that the federation isn’t settling for what happened over the past two weeks.
“Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations. We must do better,” Crocker said in a statement following the loss. “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.”
I need some leaks what is going on! Ives? Sciaretta? Goff? Tenario? Anyone?
Remember Project 2010. We were supposed to win the World Cup by 2010 with that team hand picked by soccer “experts.”
One of the players from that squad is a talking head on TV these days.
Reviews, investigations, committees are a sure indication of what we’ve got: a lack of leadership, someone willing to make clear, concise decisions. It is a tool used for avoidance, to delay, wear down opposition hoping the outcry subsides, to find info/excuses justify, a manipulation to offload responsibility. A bad sign. Grow a pair and rip the bandaid off for F sakes.
Can you imagine, September friendly in the same city that just sent Gregg off the field to chants of “FireGregg, Fire Gregg” and the opposing manager is one of the guys they passed on. There is no way they can let happen.
“There is no way they can let happen.”
You’d think, right?
If I had a nickel for every time…..
We need a new coach but that is not the problem. The current players are soft. They gave away half of their FIFA money to the WNT because of TicToc pressure. . No back bone in them.
Agree 100%.
USSF is more focused on making inroads of everything unrelated to the actual on field product. e.g., LGBT, inclusivity, etc
What next, start a league for non-binary players, but who’ll watch? Money talks, B S walks.
Those things don’t win you silverware.
Great article from Tim Howard saying he’ll go get Jurgen Klopp off the beach in Spain.
lol, golden generation will never be GOLDEN if they are SUPPOSED TO BE MOLDED BY GREGG BERHALTER. It’s not going to happen. There is a reason why team’s fire COACHES NOT PLAYERS at the highest level of soccer.
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John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, once wisely said, “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” Beyond wins and losses, coaches have the power to impact character development, teach life skills, and foster personal growth in their players. By nurturing these qualities, they become not only game changers but also catalysts for positive change in the lives of those they coach.” ……..and in 6+ years GB is failing miserably in every and all possible departments.
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Maybe we need to create a more competitive make or break environment that involves constant testing and evaluation at every position / level (player to coach). Maybe, just maybe, USSoccer needs to start finding other creative ways to get the USMNT up to speed quickly and evaluate HIDDEN TALENT, especially since international friendlies are more and more difficult to come by as teams need to be availably or want to play. If scheduling doesn’t align well, they might not go up against the kind of quality opposition we need or they want to test the team AND COACH at the highest level. I think we should change the mentality of “friendlies” and make a lot of it in house in a way, to give it meaning and provide all players involve with the ability to receive “a benefit” (possible selection to the team) in these matches. In other words, players not selected to the national team can have a chance to showcase their talent and possibly make the team by how well they go up AGAINST THE NATIONAL TEAM (and some players on the team could lose their place). Coaches for these teams are selected the same way we select coaches for the MLS-ALLSTAR games (or use coaches USSF are interested in, but want to evaluate in a way, and have the necessary resume and pedigree). Instead of playing CONCACAF minnows how about:
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MLS ALLSTARS (Not a lot of US players there but good competition, lol)
MLS + Liga MX USMNT (US players in MLS AND MX only)
TOP 2 MLS TEAMS FROM EACH CONFERENCE
TOP 2 Liga MX TEAMS
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I know for a fact it would be VERY difficult to play club teams. If only………
There isn’t hidden talent out there. This isn’t 1994. Every match these guys play from the Junior A Bundesliga to the Hungary Premier League to the Korean League 2 are all captured in stunning Hd and available on Wyscout minutes after each match often from multiple angles. I’m a big fan of Jose Gallegos, from my former home San Antonio. He helped Sonderjyske be promoted from Danish 1.Division back to SuperLiga. Not only are you saying a player like Jose has been overlooked by US soccer but that all those first division teams across Europe also missed on him. That just doesn’t seem very likely.
There are a lot of players out there that could possible make a better team than some of the current players right now. The best players do not necessarily make the best team. A competitive environment would also eliminate coach biases. A perfect example, Marsch changed things around in midfield with the CanMNT as soon as he came in. Liam Millar didn’t start for Herdman but is the starter for Marsch and he is excelling. Not a lot of people watch EFL championship or 2. Bundesliga or Serie B or Belgian Pro League…….EVEN MLS and Liga MX but we have a large pool of players who are regular starters on good teams (especially in Mexico) that would be great to see against the National Team. Players fall through the cracks all the time ………just ask Thomas Rongen on Mo Edu!!!
Bizzy, fans aren’t watching them but US soccer does. Most of the time, that’s literally the staff’s job to review how the pool played with their clubs that week. The roster will change very little because those are the best players. The managers job is to arrange them in a way to get the most out of them. Listen to guys like Charlie Davies, Tony Meola, Clint Dempsey, we aren’t missing guys out there. The manager just isn’t getting the best out of them.
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Liam Miller started every game of the GC last year for Herdman. He’s benefited from Marsch’s change in formation because in Herdman’s 3-4-3 he had to beat out Davies for LWB in Marsch’s 4-2-3-1 Davies has played LB more than LW. Buchanan’s broken leg opens up more opportunities for him and Shaffelburg. Not unlike if a new manager moved Pulisic to the 10 role then Paredes could see more time on the W. Or a 3-4-3 could put Weah at RWB and Haji as RW next to Balo. Could the next manager look to Matt Miazga to be the vet CB to replace aging Ream, sure, or prefer Celentano as the third keeper to Callender, maybe. But the roster is pretty much going to stay the same.
the term Golden Generation is a marketing label…that is all
it’s designed to hype hype hype
it’s all BS
I have said from jump the label was ill cast, inaccurate and hype train media crap
the true issue: until World Soccer treats us with respect instead of being afraid to play us straight up, it’s all hot air anyway
yellow livered cowards living in gold plated rooms and dining on caviar…but emotionally bankrupt chickens who ae scared of losing so fix the fight…soft
Portuguese Golden Generation and Belgian Golden Generation never won anything. You’re right anytime a group is anointed a Golden Generation before they’ve won something it’s just hype.
“Comprehensive review” means he’s not getting fired. Plain and simple.
I’ve never been a fan of GGG, but if I’m being honest we’ve greatly overestimated the level of this “Golden Generation.” They may be more skilled, but previous iterations of the USMMT, say the 2010 team would eat them for lunch. There were men on that team with heart and a passion for the game. I don’t see any men on this team. I see immature boys, being led by an immature boy, CP who was anointed too early and hasn’t achieved results to deserve his accolades. I think deep down this is a generational and cultural problem.
100%
All the messaging, talk, the emphasis is on the little safe space GGG has created. It’s like freaking summer camp. A place for him and his players to hide from accountability, pressure. US Soccer PR’s sneak peeks into the team don’t highlight soccer, hard work, they portray a bunch of friends playing golf, yucking it up. We see it every step of the way with Gregg- attempts to lower expectations rather than raise them. Winning away in CONCACAF is nearly impossible- He’s worked hard to prove that and done it once- in 6 years! The freaking Copa America isn’t our current priority, WC 2 years away is. Way to punt away the pressure and then go on to verify you didn’t r e a l l y care about this tourney.
6 freaking years in and all the messaging is vague nonsense about growth about learning even immediately after abject failure- an embarrassing showing. Goals are not real solid verifiable: good football, victory, hardware. they are vague corporate buzzwords about changing perception. Fluffy no depth B.S. Well, by any measure, this cycle has NOT shown growth, all the same issues while they’ve clearly degraded, regressed. While a sense of family, “brotherhood” within a team is a good thing, it is NOT, should not be the main objective- Winning soccer matches and hardware is! Pursuing excellence.
We need- these players need a confident, competent, respected, tactically sound, very demanding manager who requires a high standards of play and conduct from his players. A team within a professional, competitive, disciplined atmosphere that requires hard work, excellence or you sit. This doesn’t require a tyrant- Klopp- many managers do this within a positive atmosphere while simultaneously demanding results.
I don’t know about y’all but I am old enough to remember “Reyna Gate” when everyone was sure that Gregg was dead meat.
I said then that they were just waiting for the furor to die down. They launched a “cough. cough” investigation into Gregg.
Have you read that report? I did. It was a fricking joke. You, Bearded Soccer, could have compiled the same report sitting at home and working from various sources on the internet and maybe making a few calls.
I figure they can stretch things out over July, August, let everyone chill out. If Uruguay goes on to win Copa America then can then claim that they were knocked out by the Champions.
1. The USSF really doesn’t want to get rid of Gregg. He’s affordable, he’s a company man, he’s just good enough to almost skate by, he gets on well with MLS. The team has improved (never mind that improvement has to be taken into context when your starting level is a few miles underground)., etc.,
2. If Klopp or Pep want it, I’m sure the financing can be “found” . But I can’t see why they would want the job though.
3. The freak show factor. Gregg has never beaten a better team. Gregg’s guys have not upset anyone The same thing could happen at the 2026 World Cup.
Imagine such a high profile team going 8 years without ever upsetting anyone.
That’s got to be a record.
I held off writing on this topic so I could re-evaluate things from a statistical/factual perspective and not an emotional one. Based on the last 2.5 years (2022 to Now) under this management team (Gregg & his assistance)….
42 games played: 19W (45%), 12L (29%), 11D (26%).
CONCAF: 13W, 5L, 5D
S. America: 1W, 2L, 3D (W against Bolivia)
Europe: 1W, 4L, 2D (W against Uzbekistan)
Asia: 2W, 1L, 1D (W against Oman & Iran)
These are not good numbers. There are no signature wins, most opponents with FIFA rankings above 30. Most impressive feat being Draws Vs. England & Brazil.
Player Pool minutes –
Keeper: Turner (2835), Johnson (360), Steffen (270), Horvath (225), Schulte (90), Slonina (90)….A position of concern and a VAST disparity of who gets minutes.
CB: Z-Man (1383), Ream (1315), Richards (1293), Miles (1250), Long (744),
CCV (601), Neal (408), McKenzie (211), Trusty (101). Another position of concern and the bulk of minutes have been given to the same 5 players only 1 of which has a future and 1 that’s serviceable.
CDM: Adams (1407), Acosta (719), Sands (566), Cardoso (383), Morris (330), Maloney (26). Sure Acosta, Sands & Morris have been deserving of that many minutes.
CM: Musah (2095), McKennie (2061), LDLT (838), Busio (378), Rodan (207)
AM: Reyna (1191 – Mostly on the wing), Malik (384), Mihailovic (377)
Under used position and players.
WA: Pulisic (2257), Weah (1678), B. Aaronson (1013), Morris (471),
Zendejas (456), Cowell (389), Arriola (371), Paredes (92), Booth (44)… Depth is a concern and yet besides Aaronson few minutes have been given to anyone.
Striker: Ferreira (1196), Balogun (896), Pepi (872), Wright (433), Vazquez (337) Sargent (227)….another position of need and Ferreira is the one with the most minutes?
USMNT has had a year and a half to find and groom replacements and back-ups, but GGG continues to give the bulk of playing time to the same players over & over. We’ve continued to struggle finding experienced back-ups yet don’t give players an opportunity to gain experience. I’d be one thing if we were winning, but we haven’t been. We’re not getting results, we’re not experimenting with players, we’re not giving others opportunities. This is on the coaching staff.
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Same coaches + Same tactics + Same players = Same results. Expecting something different (improvements) is the definition of insanity. It’s time for a change.
How many minutes have Ferreira, Sands, Morris, Acosta gotten since Gregg returned? A. Morris with 90 minutes during camp cupcake. When those next tier guys played in GC did anyone look qualified to take minutes from the first squad? When other guys played for U23s last month against Japan and lost 2-0 twice in a week who from that belongs. This team needs two things a manager that can get this team to give a complete effort every night and a manager when plan A isn’t working can adjust the plan from minute to minute in a match and from game to game.
They need to wrap up this post tournament review and come to the only reasonable conclusion which is Gregg and the “group” have reached its limit together (and are backsliding). And the sooner the better because other managers will come available as Copa and Euros wrap.
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The thought that the new person is going to hold open competition for roster spots is silly though. Certainly the new manager might value different traits so they might swap out Mihailovic for Luca or Trusty for Mackenzie. But there won’t be a huge roster overhaul. Barring injuries (which they’ll be a few) I’d put money that 8 or 9 starters from the Panama match are starting in the WC opener.
It’s not about roster overhaul it’s about making the starters work for their spots. Which a new coach should do. And two years is a long time. Players will rise. Hard to know if Weah will be a starter come 2026 or Mckennie or Reyna or even Adams with his injury issues. I don’t think many have gotten better since 2022. I do think there can be competition for spots these next couple of years. To be fair not many are locks. Adams if healthy, Dest when healthy, Pulisic, and Antonee Robinson. Can we really expect Ream to be a starter in two years? Another coach comes in he may say I want to truly play a highline. Ream doesn’t fit that.
What happens with Reyna and Mckennie this off season? Dortmund want to shop Reyna and Juve want to move on from Mckennie. How well will Weah fit at Juve? There are question marks still at striker. GK is another question mark.
To say the team is set for 2026 is premature.
Again we know, that some will have injuries and that will cause some change and Ream’s age puts him at risk. “Work for their spots”, that just doesn’t happen at the international level. There just isn’t time, you come in for two days play a match, travel to another city train another day or two play again and board a plane home. You’ve got to play well at your club and play really well in limited minutes over several matches. The new manager is also going to be trying to get the regulars acclimated to their tactics and not going to giving outliers tons of minutes.
PSV says no to US soccer for both Tillman and Pepi. That was to be expected.
I am not a GB hater, but Inever thought he should have been given a new contract after the last WC (and it had nothing to do with the Reynas).
It is almost inevitable that players and coaches will form connections that leave either unable to make rational, hard decisions.
I like Ream, but a Ream that is 2 years older and a bit slower, I’m not so sure. McKennie, Weah, Dest, Pulisic, Adams and Robinson are all players whom I don’t think GB can make rational, hard decisions about.
If a new coach comes in then evaluation of players will happen and then they have to fight in each practice for their positions. If Greg stays then the status quo stays. Players don’t want to be evaluated for their spots. Regardless if the player behind might not be as good as the starter a new coach will make the players earn it every practice and every game leading up to the WC.
For me it’s time for a change. These players need a coach that will light a fire.
2 years is still a long time for other players to come in. I think Paredes is on the brink, I think Diego Luna is starting to show what he is about this season currently has 3 goals and 9 assists, Austin Trusty, Tessman, Busio has grown, I think Malik Tillman will continue to get better at PSV, Lund pushing Robinson. New GK’s are rising in Schulte, Freeze, Slonina. It’s time fior a change.
US Soccer has given Greg 6 years to implement his ideas and system with arguably the most talented collection of players the US has ever put on the field at one time. (I think Lalas said it best – they are better “soccer” players, but not better “U S Soccer Players). If after all that time, the team cannot advance on home soil out of a group with Panama and Bolivia, it should be automatic that a new coach gets brough in. Winning the Gold Cup and the new Nations League isn’t impressive. The team has done that plenty of times before and advanced further in Copa and World Cup play.
Gregg is not getting fired if for no other reason than the federation can’t afford to pay out his contract and hire a better coach, who presumabñy would want a better salary. In that context supporting your boss is a no brainer.
The funancial windfall of the WC will support the finances. And quite frankly there are other mechanisms to hire and pay a coach. If the sponsors feel like a change is necessary, a change will happen.
The federation is already NOT paying the menos Olympic team so I don’t think we can assume that they are flush. And while there are many was to practice creative financin that does not mean that they are available now, nor would they be desireable in the long run.
Jamaica’s coach resigned, although to be fair the Federation was probably going to fire him. Apparently both were ready to move on, the manager had moved back to Iceland in January. If you willingly move from Jamaica to Iceland in January you’re probably not real happy.
Do employees get to choose or have input who their next CEO is?
There’s a reason why a board of directors exist, instead of consensus from their employees.
So why do these “professionals” get to an input on who the next coach is?
A professional means they just do their job to the best of their ability in spite of
external distractions.
This bothers me. “…losses… have led to fans and media alike judging whether or not Berhalter should be the coach going forward, but both Adams and McKennie voiced their support…”
This a prime example of the journalistic model in the “post-credibility” age. An objective and balanced line, followed by “but”, followed by the desired narritive, which is based on obviously flawed support (to Dempsey’s point) but pushed through anyway, and repeated in the title to influence people too lazy to read or think.
Marsch with Canada actually got love from the refs vs. Chile…because it’s Canada and not the US. I watched that match, Chile got hosed. But Marsch would get screwed as USMNT coach because it’s the USMNT
the only solution I see is a coach from outside the US that the world football powers would accept so they could rationalize our success, like to say so and so ‘taught’ us how to play soccer, because no way they can accept us doing any other way…only if they ‘teach’ us
JK tried that approach, failed because he’s a terrible coach. Maybe Bielsa would work because he’s an awesome coach respected by world football.
I’ll bet my house if he is the coach, we get fair treatment…which we do not get now by any stretch of the imagination. Any takers?
Instead, if the idea is to play better, blah blah blah…good luck with that. You can’t beat a fixed match with any consistency…cannot do it
This Copa embarrassment is a blessing in disguise. Finally the opportunity to exit from Berhalter and inject some new ideas before the WC. Of course the US federation blundered by renewing him after Qatar but at least now they have a justification to head in a new direction. Hopefully it won’t be too little too late.
Of course they’re is n magic pill and a new coach won’t make us suddenly a world power but at least it will put some pressure and get rid of this complacency.
USMNT players support Gregg Berhalter ahead of “comprehensive review”……Deuce said it best, WHICH PLAYER IN THEIR RIGHT MIND IS GOING TO SAY THEY DON’T SUPPORT THEIR COACH AND JEOPARDISE THEIR PLAYING TIME WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM??? Who? GB is currently a train wreck. We have reached a level of performance and expectation that GB is just not equipped (technically and tactically) to handle. USSoccer wants to double down and back their horrible decision to bring him back BUT THEY KNOW they messed up.
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6+ years in and we can’t get out of a group with Uruguay, Bolivia and Panama on home soil……how do we expect to make an impact in a WORLD CUP WITH FAR BETTER QUALITY. This is mind-blowing to me. This group is not going to be “young” forever, and we are wasting their golden years with GB (who almost all of their club coaches are light years better than in terms of structure and development) rather than elevating their talents with more experienced Coach / Manager / Mentor.
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Absolutely mind-blowing
“WHICH PLAYER IN THEIR RIGHT MIND IS GOING TO SAY THEY DON’T SUPPORT THEIR COACH AND JEOPARDISE THEIR PLAYING TIME WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM??? Who? ”
Gio Reyna did and people lost their shit when I said he shouldn’t get called back.
Wasn’t a “comprehensive” review done before he was brought back? I don’t understand why more time is needed, and another review is needed now.
USSF is admitting the brain trust were idiots 1st time around, and now
they’ll be serious. Whatever.
I posted that Gregg should be fired when he lost the 2019 GC final. What he was as a coach was clesr then.
I’ve not really backed off of that.
His flaws have been smoothed over a little. He’s learned some on the job. The players are better,but it’s not good enough and not happening fast enough.
Y’all are 5 year later bandwagon jumpers.
If they do axe him it will be a political decision. If it was based on football reasons, they had all the info they needed in 2019. I have yet to hear of one solid credible soccer expert come out in an impassioned defense of Gregg in all this time.
I personally was a big fan of the former captain of Energie Cottbus ( who couldn’t love that name) as a player. He’s a very intelligent man. What he is not in the right coach for this USMNT.
Every needs coach learn: to adopt each games (like Gareca vs Canada, at the Copa America), create different formation and systems against each opponents, switch tactics in the middle, and have a “B” or “C” plan.
Every Top 15 nation GB faced with 2 exceptions of El Tri, & Uruguay last night, CP has started at LW. CP has taken ALL the corners with no assists. (That I can think of). He’s been taking all the corners since 2019. It is now, 2024, he has one deflection in the game Miles Robinson forced an own goal. 5 years no assists. He’s so terrible at it. We have to get multiple set piece coaches and the best we can do is have Weah give the ball back to the CP by the flag, so he can go 1 v 11. Every top 15 country we have faced, CP is the biggest contributor on the field as to why we lose. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. He complains to the ref (ref last night deserved it), when the opponent is more athletic or uses physicality, eveytime. CP has unnecessary touches and doesn’t run towards goal to receive passes in the box. He doesn’t run when Jedi is running. He doesn’t use his left foot to cross back to any CFs. I wrote down – CP had a left footed cross in the ‘2, and Haji had a cross in the ‘26 and the difference was striking. (Forgot to write what game I was watching). CPs cross was weak & pathetic & Haji’s cross got inside the 18. When CP plays LW, the CF gets no service. He’s the biggest contributor on the field as to why the CFs get no service. We will not beat any top 15 nation with CP starting at LW. GB is at fault; no doubt. So of us blame NO players, or the wrong players. CP isn’t selfless, he’s selfish!! If he was selfless, he would have gave up the corners to a better set piece taker, years ago. Keep lying to this community that CP will start over Leao (LW) for Portugal, when he’s not starting over Raphael at AC Milan. Keep lying to this community and saying CP will start over B. Silva at RW for Portugal. Quit lying and saying stuff like CP will start on every country ranked in the top 10. He’s not. Why doesn’t he take corners at any club he’s played for? BECAUSE HES NOT GOOD AT IT!! All his club coaches know this. Weah, Sabbi, & Busio’s are better LWs. Gio playing LW, was refreshing, his passes were going inside the 18 to teammates. The offensive flow was there. Gio, LDT, & Busio are better at corners. If CP is our best player, then he has to shoulder his responsibility of failure.
It’s Ok 2 Think,
Spot on, and very refreshing to read a post that is valid and is steeped in reality.
The American media needs to write SOMETHING, so they choose to write about the golden child and how great he is, how selfless he is, and what a great leader he is…when the truth is so very different.
yes. to me this is a microcosm of the “win an easy game and think we have proof of concept” problem. we get a deadball goal off bolivia — bolivia — and it’s declared fixed and point to your set piece coach in the stands. but before that — generally crap. and after — well, people were asking, how do we get more chances on uruguay, well we had plenty of corners and they fouled the heck out of us for kicks. they converted their kick, albeit off, we hit a bunch of hopeful age group quality balls in, some to the first defender, some just ever so slightly wayward.
CP needs to stick to being a box sniper. he can be one of the team leaders just finishing stuff. he can set up people but is inefficient at it — particularly relative to reyna. and he shouldn’t be taking the kicks. stick to what you’re good at.
it’s one of dozens of things that have just become articles of faith under this coach that are just wrong. yeah, i know select teams that let their star player do everything. are we scared to offend him? are we scared to try something not over-practiced?
Not disagreeing with your point on corner kicks but he did take 21 corners for AC Milan this season in Serie A and 19 more in European play. .7 per 90 in Serie A and 2.40 per 90 in CL/EL. He also took a decent amount in 18/19 for Dortmund. 0.42 per 90 at his clubs for his career, for context Gio 1.2 per 90.
Johnnyrazor,
Stop defending Pulisic and his dead ball deficiencies with that nonsense data crap. He doesn’t pass the eye test. He sucks on dead ball service.
Papi Grande, so who besides McKennie is a set piece ball winner? Seriously lack an aerial attacker. Richard’s and Pepi should have scored vs Panama! You can put the ball into dangerous areas and if no one wins the surrounding space , no ones head will finish it
Papi,
“ Not disagreeing with your point on corner kicks”
It’s said he doesn’t take corners for his club. He did take a decent number for ACM this season.
“Comprehensive review?!?” How much time is USSF going to waste on that when they should be interviewing coaches?
I’m not a Gregg hater, he did well enough the first World Cup cycle. But I thought his rehiring was a mistake, and the Copa obviously doesn’t change that. No, Weah’s red card wasn’t his fault. No, the BS officiating against Uruguay wasn’t his fault. But good teams find a way to win; we found a way to crash out of a group that we should have comfortably advanced from.
There is really no compelling argument to keep Berhalter. He has been in the job long enough and has done just average. They don’t score enough goals and are incapable of upsetting a stronger team. Maybe US soccer can convince a top manager to spend just two years with us to coach in a World Cup.
I cannot believe McKennie thinks this team has progressed very far over the last 4-5 years. That is one of the main issues. If they feel this is progression, then they will never be more then mediocre. I agree with other comments made about players should not feel “comfortable” about the coach. Of course they are going to support Berhalter because he is afraid to sit the so called “golden generation” players who are clearly underperforming for the national team to give some other players a shot. It is going to be difficult for this team to improve prior to the 2026 WC since there are no qualification games or other meaningful games.
There comes a time when the players need to start stepping up as well. I am not a Berhalter fan, but most of the players are underperforming. Just my thoughts.
Matt R.
“I cannot believe McKennie thinks this team has progressed very far over the last 4-5 years.”
It has.
But it started at negative outer darkness so you have to keep things in perspective.
Gregg has done a good job for someone who does not appear to know what he is doing.
And whatever positivity he has achieved, it plateaued a while ago and does not look like it will get get much past that.
The torch and pitchfork crowd screams ” Let the starters earn their spots”.
I’m all for that but don’t be surprised if , after that “challenge” is over, the starting eleven looks much the same.
IV will be happy to bring in Juan Agudelo, Holmes, Green, CJ Sapong, Soto
Villafana, Dom Dwyer, Rubio Rubin, Lichaj and other assorted Sarachan types.
Our G generation appears to have died from hype disease. They have all, including CP, not become what we had all hoped they would be.
The only exceptions are Ream, Antonee and Turner. Ream and Antonee are overachievers. So is Matt but that may be ending soon. His distribution has not kept up and it will cost him a regular job. I’m sure every manager would hold his breath when Matt has the ball at his feet and his passing via his arm is nothing to write home about.
Americans seem to rebel against the idea that a keeper should be good with his feet and our keepers are suffering from that rebellion.
That’s exactly why you need a new coach. You shouldn’t feel 100% comfortable with a national coach. You should be fighting as if your job depended on it. Berhalter might be a nice guy but he has underwhelmed on what is our countries best generation of players. He should never have been rehired. Winning our concacaf tournaments should not be the standard. We should be dominating them.
i think the supposed concacaf form misleads. the WCQ where we had to play all the top couple regional tiers both home and away we eroded down to T-3 and advanced on tiebreaker. struggled to get away results. that continues to be true, away loss to TnT. that gets hidden when you host every regional tournament and play 90%+ of your schedule at home.
setting aside road/home, the one A side tournament in recent years where we were dominant was the one he didn’t coach. otherwise our history is a bunch of cardiac squeakers suggesting we haven’t separated from the competition, or outright losing.
and that’s not even getting into how well this travels, ie, this tournament, european friendlies, the meh world cup.
Exactly Weston, you’re “comfortable” with this coach