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.
Why would USMNT suddenly skip the process they just announced for a mediocre hire?
This "process" was already over a half-year long because it was delayed by the GM/ sporting director search after Ernie Stewart's departure... and then news broke a few days ago that the new director Matt Crocker had interviewed 10+ candidates for the position, including:
- Jesse Marsch
- Pellegrino Matarazzo
- Steve Cherundolo
- Thierry Henry
- Patrick Vieria
- Hugo Perez
I feel like I default to being a Gregg Berhalter defender (which I'm not) but the vitriol that he receives from certain portions of the US fanbase is completely undeserved. Gregg's not a "mediocre" hire; he's in demand both domestically and abroad. The internal culture of the program — Reyna drama aside — has never been stronger. The team is recruiting dual-internationals at an incredibly high success rate. He has the public support of multiple star players inside the team from stars like Pulisic to Weah to veterans like Zimmerman, Yedlin and Ream. The vibes are almost too good to be true.
The truth is that no manager is perfect and, while Berhalter definitely has his warts, I trust him a hell of a lot more than some of the popular candidates on that list like Marsch. Henry or Vieria. It's not like Berhalter's on some island thinking Cristian Roldan is a really, really good player or that Reyna hadn't been in proper form to contribute more to the World Cup than as a super sub. I vehemently disagree with those decisions by Berhalter, but they're also completely defensible ones.
There's nothing wrong with continuing to build on the good foundation of Qatar — and (just throwing this out there) if the USMNT's form stagnates or dips between now and 2026 and there's a certain treble-winning manager will be out of contract in 2025 and looking for a new challenge, it's a helluva lot easier for Matt Crocker to remove Berhalter after 6 years on the job than a brand-new hire that will have potentially a single international tournament (Copa America in 2024).
Agree with pretty much all of this (maybe aside from the implication that Roldan can succeed at the international level). When you look at the other coaches in the conversation, Berhalter seems at least their equal. The bloom seems to have come off of both Marsch (suggested tactical inflexibility) and Viera (Crystal Palace's total inability to create chances at the end of his tenure). The others (other than Matarazzo, who I don't know anything about) seem sub replacement level.
So long as Reyna and Pepi aren't completely alienated with this choice, and I assume the federation has at least tested those waters, this seems an ok outcome from what was a pretty bad process. I'm reassured that this choice is being made by someone who's been relatively unconnected to US Soccer.
In addition, it seems like a lot of the most difficult dilemmas facing the selection have started to be resolved during the interim phase. No reliable strikers? Balogun's commitment and Pepi's resurgence seems to solve that. The wing pecking order? Aaronson's bad season at Leeds leaves him a clear second choice to Weah and Pulisic. Where to slot Reyna/can the midfield hold up without one of MMA? Last night, the midfield played very well with Reyna in a relatively free 10 role (against, tbf, a very, very bad Mexico side).
That last issue does point to the biggest mistake Berhalter made at the World Cup. Since he never rotated the midfield, MMA had basically run themselves out by the knockout round. Two of the goals against the Netherlands seemed to lie, in part, in players with dead legs who just couldn't summon the will to track back, even early in the game. It'll be really important at the Copa to see how he manages midfield squad rotation.
I agree the process lasted way to long. They took forever to hire the sporting director but then took no time at all to hire Berhalter.
Bethalter was clearly outclassed at the World Cup.
From what I read, it actually looks like the other two finalists removed themselves before the next phase of interviews so they didn’t have a choice.
I think Pulisic and Weah publicly lobbying for Berhalter probably influenced them.
It sounds like the players liked him well enough but this whole process seems both rushed AND lazily implemented, and I just don't see how it's worth bringing him in given the controversies surrounding him both on and off the pitch.
Mexico got their asses handed to them and proceeded to have a complete mental breakdown, players and fans, ugly indeed.
Also, their slur chant's vitriol is directly proportional to how bad their team is playing, not a good look.
Starting to think our USMNT rivalry with Mexico reminds me of our rivalry with MSU. Cheap shots, fights, fouls, trash everywhere, drunk horrible fans saying regrettable things, authorities trying to govern the whole mess. Sparty is basically El Tri and vice versa. The similarities are actually pretty profound and I say this knowingly assessing our rivalries with OSU, ND and Minnesota.
Exactly, I hate Ohio State, but they do have my begrudging respect.
MSU — like El Tri — is irredeemable and nothing more than a cultural cesspool of hate and misery.
In soccer the closest comparison on a big stage would have been the psg man city champions league semi a few year back when pág lost the plot and started the Bush league bullshit
Gregg is certainly... a choice.
i'm hoping that the reynas - every one of them - are freaking out.
Why? We need Gio if we are going to do something in world soccer. All parties were wrong in what went down at the World Cup but berhalter telling one of the best players on the team that he isn’t going to feature much was probably a bad decision. Against Mexico he was really good the other day. Hope they patch things up and move forwrd
Could not care less what the Reynas think - aside from Gio, who seems mature enough to play regardless (more mature than his parents). I'm more concerned with whether he was the best coach they could get
ugh. this is so embarrassing. even if this was the way you wanted to go, which seems a bit dumb, having it take this long is so stupid. also can't believe they're gonna give him a contract THROUGH the next world cup and not just for 2 years.
Given that he seemed to have an offer from Club America (which is probably the most prominent coaching job in Liga MX) they probably had to give him the four year deal.
This is also where hosting the Copa is great. If the US plays well (at least semis while being competitive), everyone who's reasonable can be more confident in Berhalter's acumen. If it underachieves (fails to get out of its group or is clearly outplayed in quarterfinal) they can always cut him loose and go for a more prominent coach who would likely be more interested in a two year gig than spending the next four years. US soccer should also be more financially secure after hosting the Copa and with WC money coming in to afford the salary demands of a top coach. And not saying it would happen, but there is a certain coach who's said he's not going to renew his contract once it's up after the 2025 epl season.
yeah, that's probably true (re: the club america rumors). and listen maybe there were so many moving parts (bunch of execs leaving, matt crocker joining, the "investigation") that they couldn't have done this in a dramatically smoother & quicker fashion.
but i would have much preferred he got a 2-year extension a few months ago than a 4-year deal now. i will admit to also being of the opinion that it'd be nice to have a non-american leading the team into the future, and still being really bummed at how shit we looked against the netherlands and probably overreacting as a result. but to me the team doesn't regularly look as good as its constituent parts let alone better than them. would be nice to feel like we had a coach who both tactically and from a player selection standpoint was giving us an RPS advantage, at least in concacaf. but maybe that's too much to ask right now as a fairly mediocre soccer country.
He is essentially the all time winning usmnt coach ever. I say go for it.
Berhalter? I told that kraut I don't roll on Shabbas.
They looked great against mexico. Loved that style of play. Hopefully Greg can replicate