It may be three months since Gregg Berhalter was fired as U.S. men’s national team head coach, but that pain still hasn’t left the 51-year-old.
Berhalter, who recently was hired as the next head coach of the Chicago Fire, spent close to six years with U.S. Soccer. He managed the USMNT for 74 matches, winning two CONCACAF Nations League titles, one Gold Cup, and helping the Americans reach the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, his second spell as USMNT head coach only lasted 14 matches, with a group stage exit at the 2024 Copa America sealing Berhalter’s end in his role.
Berhalter now has a new opportunity to look forward to in Chicago, but admitted the pain in being fired in his last job.
“It’s a really difficult moment when you get fired as a coach, and I don’t want to liken this to life and death at all because it’s not. You’re still alive, but it is like mourning a death,” Berhalter said in a press conference Thursday. “And you wake up the next day and you feel really bad. Your confidence takes a hit and it’s a really difficult moment.
“For me it was really about being with my family in those moments and giving myself the time and the freedom and the space to feel sad and feel bad,” he added. “We didn’t perform well in Copa América and when you don’t perform well at a high level there’s consequences, and I take full responsibility for that. But it still hurts.”
Next March will mark Berhalter’s first match on an MLS sideline since 2018 as he now aims to get the Fire back on track. Chicago has failed to make the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, losing 17 matches in league play this year.
Despite having talented players in Brian Gutierrez, Chris Brady, and Chris Mueller, the Fire have failed to play at a consistent level. Berhalter’s past success with the Columbus Crew will certainly have Fire fans excited for the future, and the New Jersey native admitted the growing potential in the Fire under chairman Joe Mansueto.
“And then from there you become motivated, alright? Now I want the next opportunity. You get hungry again,” Berhalter said. “And during that period when I got hungry, there’s a number of opportunities that I was looking at and I kept coming back to Chicago and the potential and the alignment.
“It’s not every day that you get to work for a man like Joe Mansueto, who understands what a top level is and how to build something that’s really good and sustainable,” he added.
The Fire close out their 2024 league schedule on Saturday at home against Nashville SC.
JV
Most programs don’t go to the manager, ask him if he feels he should continue in the job and then take his word for it.
As Midwest r pointed out if you asked Gregg he would have said he’s good until the 2030 WC.
And they would have kept him.
To put that into context, Arena thinks that he should not have been fired after 2006 and should still be manager today.
That’s what the USSF has been like,a mom and pop shop for most of its existence.
As bad as the US looked last week, maybe Berhalter wasn’t the worst. At least, he consistently beat Mexico. It is fair to ask if just maybe the talent of the players was not quite there yet for him.
Still it is hard to fire all the players, so the coach bites the dust. GB got a 6 year run, not bad by international standards,
Poch has his work cut out.
Dennis ,
Gregg was not the worst. They could have hired Jason Kreis another USSF hang around type.
But Gregg was not taking these guys any further.
Name any game , one game, against a tough opponent in a competitive game that meant something that Gregg won where you said:
” That’s it! Gregg’s got these guys headed in the right direction!”
In 5-6 years I can’t think of one. The players haven’t been great but neither has Gregg.
You can’t separate the two. But as you point out and as IV forgets, there are not 11 starters + 5 subs out there just waiting to replace the current first choice guys.
You all have lost faith in Pochettino already but whoever is going to replace him
is stuck with most of the same guys that Gregg had. At the end of the EPL season, after Man U fire Ten Hag and Pochettino is tired of the unrealistic USMNT, he’ll move to Manchester United and we’ll do this new manager thing all over again.
One good thing, the player pool was largely young and inexperienced on the whole. As they continue to develop it is possible that they guy who replaces Pochettino will have slightly better players.
Agree with all you said, Dennis.
if we don’t emphasize the workmanlike approach, the understanding that we have to overcome through superior fitness and effort and desire and defensive intensity and locker room togetherness…we are toast. If we do emphasize those things, then we can win the intangibles battle and we have a chance.
History is very clear about this. Learn from it for suffer from it.
I think Poch got to see first hand exactly what all of this is in the Mexico game, but since GB’s firing, we’ve been limp…see Canada and Mexico
Should not have came back after revealing at that conference Gio was pouting and feeling entitled. Berhalther beef with Reynas left such a bad taste in the fans mouth and was a disrespectful slap in the face to us fans from from both Gio and Greg. Should have resigned after that bone head move.
hey Striker, I disagree.
Gio and the Reynas created a mess with Gio’s entitled pouter display who needed his parents to intervene and snowplow for him, something they had done plenty often before for him, evidently. They can suck it. That selfish expression is the antithesis of what a good teammate is and is, instead, a locker room parasite.
And since, Gio has been fully exposed for the player he is.. All of these coaches who bench him…what, they’re all to blame? LOL.
very unfortunate and 100% the blame of the Reynas, who instead of putting the National Team first, looked to play power games and in so doing, revealed themselves as the exact type of parents who fuck up sports in America.
I still very much root for Gio, mostly to grow up, and I think he is. He’s still very young, and it’s not his fault his parents sheltered him from the tough lessons. He’s learning them now instead
B,
Not being in the locker room. I don’t know about Gio’s attitude .
But based on his pattern of injuries (and the requisite recovery time) and the constant stream of young attacking talent at BVB, oʻhis first priority is to get his health and fitness under some kind of control.
Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what kind of attitude he has or how much hard work he does, he won’t get PT at BVB.
If I’m the USMNT manager I would plan for 2026 w/o Gio or Tyler.
@beachbum “Gio and the Reynas created a mess with Gio’s entitled pouter display who needed his parents to intervene and snowplow for him, ”
Going to have to respectfully disagree.
1. Gregg necessarily created a disgruntled player with really, really poor, clumsy, naive man management. He tells him I’m bringing you, but you won’t be used much in the World Cup. Who does that? Why would you do that? FAIL How about: You may not start, but you are vital to our success, I need you. Be ready.
2. Gio reportedly pouts in one practice immediately afterward, and instead of handling it in private as it should be, he embarrasses him by putting it on blast to the media- stroking his ego/thinking he’s displaying what a disciplinarian he is. Players are disappointed and pout- ALL THE TIME. Managers earn their pay by minimizing it, reintegrating the player. FAIL.
3. Following the WC, Gregg again feeds his own ego, pumps himself up by spinning yarn about his prowess as a manager by making a private matter public at ironically, a “Leadership Council. HUGE leadership FAIL.
4. Following the above- the Reynas, emotionally respond, very inappropriately react with a call to their/Gregg’s friend within US Soccer, in a private phone call. Gregg then tries to get ahead of the story by making that story public. Again- the Reynas didn’t make that story public, Gregg did. Trying to cover his own rear. US Soccer then followed suit. There’s no reason anyone should have heard about that call or Gregg’s past history. None. Handle your dirty business in house!!!!
In short, years of drama simply began as a very disappointed 19 year old pouting in one practice after a major disappointment. A capable, level headed manager would, could and should have ended it there with no one knowing. Literally happens everyday in the sport. BUT- Gregg, his ego, his self promotion, his clumsy mismanagement blew a minor thing into a major embarrassing years long anchor on the team and program. Bush league.
Only a few coaches stay at one spot a long time and retire without getting fired. Sir Alec Ferguson is the classic example at Manchester United. It helped that he built a dynasty that almost always won a league championship. Pep Guardiola usually leaves on his own terms, too, but it is very rare. Berhalter should have realized that he was lucky to get rehired after the World Cup.
Could’ve had the humility and loyalty to the program and resigned once he knew he wasn’t up to task of leading this team anymore.
I think the issue is he still doesn’t think he wasn’t up to the task.