USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter looks to avenge 2002 quarterfinal loss under World Cup pressure
Type Gregg Berhalter’s name on Twitter and you’ll see a wave of negativity engulf almost any discourse surrounding the USMNT boss.
Despite guiding his side to the World Cup final, a feat not achieved since 2014, Berhalter faces an uphill battle to win over public support ahead of the US team’s trip to Qatar.
Berhalter was hired out of the ashes of the USMNT’s failed World Cup qualifying campaign in December 2018, despite having a paltry 39% managerial career win percentage.
Perhaps unrelated, but at least it’s interesting to note that at the time of his hiring, Berhalter’s brother, Jay, was the union’s commercial director.
Fast forward almost three years, one CONCAF Gold Cup and Qatar qualification later, Berhalter finds himself on the hot seat after underwhelming recent performances.
It’s not just the lack of results against Japan and Saudi Arabia that worries American fans. Rather the toothless attack that has plagued the USMNT of late and indeed outside the US.
Despite criticism, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has led the United States to its first World Cup since 14
Since a 5-0 Nations League win over Grenada in June, results have started to slip. Two draws – against El Salvador and Saudi Arabia – and a humble 2-0 defeat against Japan hardly bode well for the World Cup.
Berhalter will be in charge of his first World Cup and fans will be hoping his experience as a player at the 2002 and 2006 tournaments can help bring the best out of a young, hot team.
Berhalter and his clan are truly a football rich family. The patriarch played at the University of North Carolina, as did his wife Rosalind, who won multiple national titles with the Tarheels.
One of their sons, Sebastian, followed in their footsteps before finding his way to MLS. After some time with Columbus, the 21-year-old was changed to his current club, Vancouver Whitecaps.
Berhalter represented his nation 44 times from 1994=2006, including at the ’02 and ’06 World Cups
As a player, Berhalter was involved in the USA’s most successful World Cup campaign and a key role in the team’s most controversial moment. Trailing 1-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, Berhalter beat goalkeeper Oliver Kahn before the ball hit defender Torsten Frings on the goal line in what would now be considered a flagrant handball.
Unfortunately for the USMNT, the ball failed to cross the line and a penalty was never awarded as they went down to a narrow one-goal loss. Two decades on, the player-turned-coach has to be praised for his recruiting skills, a trait often glossed over when it comes to national team set-ups.
Since taking over, Berhalter has convinced a litany of the USMNT’s young core to pledge allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. Gio Reyna (England), Malik Tillman (Germany), Sergino Dest (Netherlands), Yunus Musah (Ghana/England), Jesus Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi (Mexico) could all have chosen to play for other countries but instead committed to the USA cause .
The American is used to accepting challenges. After a 13-year international career with 44 caps and a 19-year club career in four countries, Berhalter moved into management.
In the last 270 minutes, the USMNT have scored just once and have looked toothless
A season as an assistant coach at LA Galaxy prepared the former Crystal Palace man for the head job at Swedish second division side Hammarby in 2011. Berhalter was one of the first American coaches to manage a European team and spent two seasons with the club before being sacked in July 2013.
At the time of his release, Berhalter had led Hammarby to the second-best defense in the Superettan, but in a theme familiar to USMNT fans, he failed to inspire offensively. Hammarby were nine points behind the promotion zone midway through the season but style issues caused his canning.
– Gregg has created order in our defensive game and has good discipline in the squad, but unfortunately we have not seen enough good results in the offensive, said Hammarby’s chairman Kent Hertzell to the club’s website at the time.
19 months in Sweden led Berhalter back to his home country where he took over as head coach and sporting director of the Columbus Crew, almost five months after his dismissal.
England manager Gareth Southgate (L) and his team will provide a stern test for the USMNT
Berhalter enjoyed a relatively positive tenure with the franchise considering he made the playoffs in four of his five seasons – including a 2015 MLS Cup loss to Seattle.
Since acquiring the USMNT job in December 2018, Berhalter has an impressive 64.29% win record in 56 games as coach of the USMNT, although the USA’s record on the road is far from impressive.
Dating back to September 2021, the USMNT have won just one of their last 10 away games – drawing four and losing five. In fact, Berhalter’s teams are winless in their last eight games outside the United States.
Success and its definition are ultimately defined by those above Berhalter, although it is difficult to pin down exactly what that looks like. However, fans are easier to measure. Some may think that qualifying for the WC is more than enough, others not so much.
The Americans face Wales on November 21st, England on November 25th and finally, Iran on November 29th
Then there is a section that cannot tolerate an offensively stilted system. The USMNT will face far sterner tests than their CONCACAF rivals and the likes of Saudi Arabia in Group B against England and Wales in particular.
Berhalter will be in charge of one of – if not the – youngest squad in Qatar. Maybe that will create some leeway if November and December go awry. Although perhaps his team will rise to the occasion, rather than floundering of late.
To put the USMNT squad in context, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie were 19 at the last World Cup in Russia. Brenden Aaronson and Sergino Dest were 17, while Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna were tender 15 years old.
The USMNT looked poor in their 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia – their last fixture before Qatar
Certainly, the lack of talent between the above players and the old greats like Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley has made it easy to instill the young core charged with making new memories on the world stage.
“We’re not as confident as I would like,” Berhalter told FOX Sports after the draw in Saudi Arabia. ‘We play tentatively. And we just see that the connections are not there as we would like.
“We’ve just got to go out and play together. The confidence isn’t there yet but we’ll get there.
The Stars and Stripes have only won once in 2022 against teams that have qualified for the World Cup
The Star and Stripes have won just once in 2022 against teams that have qualified for the World Cup. Whether a lack of confidence is system-, performance- or age-based will only crystallize in Qatar. Berhalter reportedly earned $1.2 million annually this year, according to tax filings seen by The Associated Press — drastically less than some of his WC colleagues.
England manager Gareth Southgate is widely regarded as one of the highest paid international managers, earning around US$5.67 million for his efforts with The Three Lions. At the same time, Berhalter’s contract expires after the WC and it remains to be seen what level of performance would be suitable for a new contract.
Although it is important to note that the USA will host the 2026 tournament along with Canada and Mexico. If performances – and results – exude promise, positivity and fearlessness, Berhalter is likely to make as many World Cups as a coach as he did as a player.