Gregg Berhalter is set to return to the United States Men’s National Team through the 2026 World Cup. The Athletic reported it minutes into the USMNT’s Nations League match against Mexico. ESPN then confirmed it. This is massive and messy for the United States.
USMNT Coaching Hire: Gregg Berhalter Return Reportedly Immanent
BREAKING: Gregg Berhalter is set to return as manager of the #USMNT, according to multiple sources.
Deal still being finalized, but return is imminent.
Reporting with @PaulTenorio:https://t.co/QqAmrOfrfs
— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) June 16, 2023
The USMNT again came out of a World Cup cycle in flux. Key higher ups in Earnie Stewart and Brian McBride left the Federation. Claudio and Danielle Reyna, Gio’s parents, filed a complaint against Berhalter regarding a decades old incident with his then girlfriend now wife that led to another scandalous internal investigation. The perception of the USSF’s good old boys network was alive and well.
Berhalter was mostly vindicated from the investigation as U.S. Soccer determined they could hire him again and not be under legal trouble. Matt Crocker was appointed Sporting Director back in April, as a responsible adult and qualified outsider. The coaching search could finally begin with Berhalter eligible.
It took so long that interim manager Anthony Hudson coached multiple international windows, then left for Al-Markhiya SC in the Qatar Stars League. B.J. Callaghan took over as the new interim head coach for the Nations League. It’s unclear who will coach the team for the Gold Cup next month.
Reportedly, at least ten candidates were interviewed. This likely included Jesse Marsch, New Jersey native Pellegrino Matarazzo, Steve Cherundolo, and multiple candidates based and from Europe. For the USSF to take so long to get their staff hired again coming into a World Cup cycle speaks to the disfunction and indecision of the organization. If Berhalter was seen as viable given what he did in Qatar, he could have been rehired months ago.
Fans have and will continue to react to this with frustration and confusion. The process took too long. Many felt Berhalter reached his ceiling in guiding the Yanks out of the group stage last winter.
His tactics and personnel decisions at times are confusing. He is not very charismatic, a quality that can be valuable at the international level. To say nothing of the fact that when national teams bring back a coach for a second World Cup, it usually goes poorly.
Given his poor relationship with John Brooks and Gio Reyna, it’s valid question what role those two players will have this coming World Cup cycle. Brooks is a veteran defender with World Cup experience but fell out of favor and did not make it to Qatar. Tim Ream did great to step in, but this team is better on paper with Brooks in the squad.
Reyna’s regarded as one of if not the most talented player in the current player pool. How can they work together after what Gio’s parents did. Will Berhalter freeze him out of the squad, fairly or unfairly? Will Reyna accept a callup and be professional? Will the Reyna family be allowed around the team and if so will they cause more trouble?
Berhalter was generally liked by the other players. The locker room sided with him surrounding Gio’s attitude issues. He does some interesting things tactically.
What made him stand out to Crocker as a previous outsider compared to other candidates? Has Berhalter learned from his mistakes in the last World Cup? Will he be better in his second as the coach of a host nation? Even if he will be, is he worth all the baggage that comes in brining him back?
Can he mend relationships with two important players? If not, can he find solutions to make the USMNT better without them?
All of these are valid questions as Gregg Berhalter returns to coach the United States.
