OT - Berhalter returns to USMNT
The Athletic is reporting Gregg Berhalter is returning as coach for the USMNT.
I'm wondering what is going through the minds of the Reynas. Would like to be a fly in that locker room.
https://theathletic.com/4610929/2023/06/15/gregg-berhalter-usmnt-return/
Twitter (if someone can embed, thanks in advance)
Edit: Confirmation from ESPN
Might as well turn this into a USMNT - Mexico game thread. 1-0 US at half but they're dominating. Pulisic with the goal, should've had another. This Mexico team is dog shit.
After watching a half, color me very impressed. Now, the first five minutes it appeared they have no coaching, that off ball there was no movement and the only out was back pass to defense. But once they got ball up, the athleticism and skill really surfaced. This isn't your father's,.or my USMNT. These guys have it, and can compete on big stage. Now, all is needed is a euro or UK premier league coach. Seriously folks, this team is stacked...
Yeah, this team is head and shoulders above Mexico, we've thoroughly passed them in young talent. 2026 WC should have high expectations. Not exactly a "golden generation" like Belgium had (none of these players is De Bruyne), but trending in the right direction.
Fun to watch the hands-off coaching approach. Give them the formation, be structured on defense, know what spaces we want to attack, and let the players execute with creativity depending on the situation and individual skill. I'm generally a huge critic of USA soccer, but this midfield is fun to watch. Like I said below - more chance creation through the middle is the next evolution.
And hiring Gregg Berhalter basically puts shackles around these guys' legs. Shameful hire.
In fairness to Mexico, the USA midfield, through Reyna, is absolutely bossing things around. Slick one touch passing to nearby spaces where a teammate grabs possession by sending it back to the defense. All game long. Lulls them to sleep until a lightning turn puts them in acres of space with numbers headed to goal.
I don't know enough about Mexico to know whether they can make a system change to get more midfielders into the middle while still keeping their width, where they've had some success.
I would love to see some more intentional chance creation from the USA through midfield possession (Pulisic's goal was a quick reaction to a ball coming loose), not just sprints down the channel and crosses to short players who aren't there.
Reyna seems so self absorbed and plays poorly because of it. Too bad because his father was really good.
Not sure what you’re watching tonight but Reyna was one of the best players on the pitch - would have been the man of the match but for pulis brace.
People are so used to seeing Reyna loafing and pouting that they want to make him MOTM when he just does his job.
I am as critical of Reyna more than most, but he was superb last night and his energy was very non-Reyna like. If he can bottle that, we will be very good and I am rooting for the change.
Hate the GB re-hire for him and Pepi though. Last night should be who we are going forward.
Also interesting to see us crush things and be more forward thinking without Adams.
Classic goal. Not sure what the left back was doing that close up on Weah.
Not sure why he's playing defense in France.
Do you question why Davies does in Germany?
Weah is not a high end player in Europe as a wing.
Callaghan has fielded a more aggressive team and strategy in one game against a team Berhalter has played many time with draws or close wins. I’d take him over boring Berhalter.
Their team may be bad, but their fans are always much much worse.
In my world, beating Mexico is EVERY bit as glorious as beating Ohio State in Football.
Wow what a start to the 2nd half. 2-0.
This could get ugly if another one goes in.
Or it could just be another USA/Mexico soccer game. Certainly a card-worthy hit on whoever assaulted Reyna's nose.
Getting ugly indeed
I'm enthused by the very aggressive one on one dribbling by the defender.
Dest is best.
Let's clarify that a little. Dest is best..... at ball retention. He is literally one of the world's top players in ball retention. But there are reasons he was shipped out of Barca and had trouble getting on the field for AC Milan.
Right backs need to be good at crossing. Dest can cross on the ground, but in the air...... no bueno. And there's other things.
I wasn't clear. What impressed me was the overall dribbling aggression by our players, to go through the person defending them. Never have I seen our players able to do this consistently, let alone attempt it. We have real talent on this team. Game on, folks. 2026.
Mexico started pressing high and we made them pay, quickly.
LLL Tri had to start throwing bodies forward one way or another.
Get ready for more Jesus Ferreira, fewer goals, and some of the better players being left home. Klinsmann was awful, but one thing he got right was enough with the mediocre MLS players
No. Klinsmann had no ability to impart a cohesive tactical plan. Berhalter's plans are definitely substandard offensively. But he's a proven defensive coach. The plan he had for England was brilliant. Their xG was the lowest of the time at WC. Not even close.
By no means did I mean to imply I thought JK was better. When I said "one thing he got right", I meant that's literally probably the only thing he got right, and one thing GGG needs to learn
Klinsmann was a good coach and got sandbagged by powers that want US soccer to fail.... notably anyone with interest in the NFL, MLB, etc. They view it as a threat, and used the media to diss Klinsmann, and it worked. We need another euro coach, or UK Premier coach... we now have the players who play there and now need the coach.
Otoh, under Greg, we only advanced to the WC on tiebreakers where the US often looked toothless. Not sure why we're bringing him back, tbh. Maybe the federation can't afford a decent coach.
Klinsmann brought Brad fucking Davis to the world Cup, guy
Yeah, someone if remembering Klinsmann through rose colored glasses. He did do some good things for the US in terms of pushing our youth development systems but his player selections were almost as bad as his tactics (or I should say lack of tactics).
Berhalter is a good coach who had the team playing good soccer. Also, some of his selection decisions look worse in hindsight than they were. He was slower to integrate the young guys than anyone would have liked but the strategy to build the system through vets and then have them essentially mentor their replacements was not a completely illogical one. Brooks was reportedly a cancer in the locker room. Pepi was just turning it around from a horrible run of form. He sustained it which makes him not being selected look horrible in hindsight but at the time there was a question as to whether he was back on track or just had a few good matches. Gregg handled the Reyna situation about as well as anyone could expect (there are a LOT of nuances people are ignoring there. Someone could and probably will write a book about that situation).
Gregg was not my first choice to coach this cycle but he seemed to be the players first choice (Pulisic and Weah basically said as much). For that reason, I am fine with him coming back.
Good soccer? The performance against England was the only good one in the WC. Wales got their lone point of the tournament off us, we barely scraped by Iran, and then LVG completely clowned Berhalter. We scored three goals in four games. Let's not forget Japan then clowning him after the WC. Last night was the best we've looked in years, and now we're going back to Gregg? As Hercules Gomez put it, this move shows a complete lack of ambition. Is he really the guy who can take us on a run in 2026 on our home soil like South Korea did on theirs in 02? I don't see it.
Poor fucking Joe Scally. Man just can't catch a break.
He's still a child. He will learn the tactics and force his way in as he gets more experience. He's playing at a high level so it shouldn't take long.
Scally was likely the last man picked despite playing at a high level. Berhalter had repeatedly refused to call him in. Against Iran, when a replacement RB was needed Berhalter sent in Shaq Moore.
Shaq was a 2nd division lifer in Spain who came home to MLS for the cash. But Scally sees the field regularly in the Bundesliga, which last time I checked was lightyears ahead of the Segunda Division.
Shaq's just gotta hold down the fort against Iran for 14 minutes. He gets beat like a rented mule but makes up for it with poor first touches.
Yeah, Scally's a child. A child who's swimming in the fucking BUNDESLIGA. And he's not better than Shaq Moore? SHAQ MOORE?
Yes. Joe Scally is better than Shaq Moore and Shaq Moore had no business playing in the world cup but Joe Scally admitted he couldn't grasp the tactics fast enough. He complained they were too complicated for him. That is what will change.
A clueless Joe Scally is way better than a Shaq Moore whose limbs are remote controlled by Pep Guardiola.
What a horrific ending to the match. Mexico essentially turned their game plan into thuggery, and we lose McKennie and Dest for the final against Canada.
You can't put your hands on someone else's neck/face/head. It's a clear line. McKennie I can forgive given the circumstance. Dest doesn't have much of an excuse.
Which I hate. Dest loves wearing the shirt. He's proud of the games where he has to play a style not to his natural gifts. Like, every road game in CONCACAF not against Mexico or Costa Rica. He's a favorite of mine for this. He made a very unpopular decision to join us and he loves it.
I agree he deserved it. But he was surrounded by opponents in a scrum caused by a straight-red call. He needed to keep his head for sure.
You're thinking of McKennie. Dest was in no scrum when he drew red.
I'm increasingly worried FIFA is going to sanction US Soccer for the behavior of the Mexican fans. They go way over the line when losing. And giving penalties to the wrong team is such a corrupt FIFA move.
- Balogun didn't register a shot on goal but he did draw a straight red, which in a US Mexico game is just as good.
- Both teams ended the game with nine players, although McKennie's was bullshit
- Trash all over the field, game was suspended for a few minutes for homophobic chants, then eventually called with 5 minutes left of the 12 minutes of stoppage time
- All in all, it was a US Mexico game.
- TRES A CERO BITCH
Musah deserves a lot of credit tonight. He had to play a more defensive role than he's used to and adjusted just fine.
Damn its good to have Richards & Robinson back. Can you imagine Zimmerman not getting a minute at WC? How much better we would have been?
Don't know why that guy gets hate. Aside the Bale penalty which was of course huge he played pretty darn well. How about the midfielders and forwards scoring goals? That's where the "hating on" should be focused.
Back to Berhalter.
this is BS. I’m not saying the report is BS, but the US just announced they completed a first round of interviews and next they are narrowing it to 3 and will do a second round of interviews. It’s BS if they suddenly skip their process. Why would USMNT suddenly skip the process they just announced for a mediocre hire?
The hire is already getting criticized by the media