Why the U.S. Soccer Team Had No Choice But to Fire USMNT Coach Berhalter

During his tenure as manager of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, Gregg Berhalter always seemed to do just enough to meet modest expectations. But he also never exceeded expectations in a way that galvanized the fan base and other stakeholders in the game.

That kind of performance was enough to keep Berhalter in charge for a while. He was even on the verge of being rehired after the 2022 World Cup, before the feud involving U.S. midfielder Gio Reyna and his family came to light. (Instead, Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of that year, before he was named coach again less than six months later.) But when expectations are met, not exceeded, it limits political capital within the U.S. Soccer Federation and goodwill outside.

So after a major misstep – and failing to make it out of the group stage of the Copa America in the United States is a major misstep – Berhalter didn’t have many resources to get back on his feet. Now Berhalter is out of a job.

Berhalter was fired Wednesday, and U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a conference call with reporters that the decision was his and that he had not sought broad input. That’s because, he said, “we had a clear plan and clear metrics of what success looked like over the last 12 months, but also in the tournament itself. Some of those metrics were not met.”

Crocker spoke about the lack of chance creation and goals from set pieces, but also his concerns about “the general evolution of the group”. He looked not only at the Copa America, but at 14 games in the last 12 months.

“It gave me a very clear idea of ​​where we’re going to go in the future,” Crocker said.

Berhalter’s firing will be greeted with joy by some segments of the USMNT fan base. Given recent results, Crocker’s decision to part ways with Berhalter was an expected one. But this is not a day of celebration for US Soccer. It lays bare the mistake the federation made in rehiring Berhalter in June 2023 when there were several compelling reasons not to do so.

Among those reasons is that Berhalter aired his dirty laundry — even if it was hidden — when he recounted how he nearly sent Reyna home after the World Cup. There’s also the domestic violence incident that happened more than 30 years ago, which Reyna’s family revealed as retaliation. There’s also the poor track record of American managers when they return for a second term: the message becomes stale and the team stagnates.

But Crocker, with considerable urging from the players, brought Berhalter back last year. Crocker had been at U.S. Soccer’s technical operations helm for just two months when he made his decision, and he cited a battery of tests he subjected candidates to.

But after Berhalter’s return, instead of seeing the team take another step forward on the international stage, signs of decline appeared in the form of uneven performances against opponents the United States typically has success against.

In Wednesday’s conference call, Crocker said he wouldn’t necessarily change his approach to choosing the next coach, though he feels better prepared to make a decision. Parting ways with U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski last year after the team’s worst World Cup in history will also help Crocker deal with Berhalter’s departure, he said.

“I think I’m a lot clearer and a lot more confident in what I’m seeing,” Crocker said. “And also doing analysis with Gregg and, obviously, with Vlatko, I’m a lot clearer about what we need going forward. I think I’m in a better position now to have a much more focused search where I’m more inclined to go hard and go early with specific candidates that I think meet the criteria that we’re looking for.”

Berhalter’s tenure wasn’t without its bright spots. He took over a program that had failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and rebuilt it around a core of promising young players. They won the first three editions of the Concacaf Nations League, though the second triumph came while Berhalter’s status was under review by U.S. Soccer and B.J. Callaghan was running the team on an interim basis.

The 2022 World Cup saw the United States advance from a navigable group before losing to a more talented Netherlands team in the round of 16. While expected, the loss created anticipation for when the USMNT would secure a decisive victory that would represent a more tangible sign of the team’s progress.

Not only has the United States never won a major game, it has seemed to regress since the World Cup, struggling to get the results it expected and performing inconsistently. That’s Berhalter’s fault and the players’. It’s Crocker’s fault, too.

Some members of the US Soccer board are already complaining that Crocker should have been fired, too. But it seems that after missing his target by rehiring Berhalter, Crocker will not have much chance of hiring a USMNT manager, and he must go after gold at the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.

Crocker said he wants to have a coach in place before the September international window, though there is a contingency plan in place in case that fails. Nor is he intimidated by the money it might take to recruit a top coach or the federation’s emphasis on equality. (USWNT manager Emma Hayes makes about the same salary as Berhalter.)

“I know the market is very competitive in terms of salaries, and we have to be competitive to get the level of coach that I think can move the program forward in terms of getting the results that we need to get on the field,” he said. “But I am also very aware that we have to continue to aim for higher standards and equality. I don’t think that will be a barrier to our investment; our national team is a priority. It is something that we are prepared to invest in and will invest in.”

Crocker also said that “communication is key” to getting the message across to players. That seems to rule out a non-English speaking coach. But Crocker said he would cast a wide net, both domestically and abroad.

“I just want to have the best coach possible that can help the team win. Whether he’s American or foreign, he has to fit the profile that we’re looking for, which is a winning coach, someone who can continue to develop this group of potential players,” he said. “Someone who has a huge interest and passion for player development.”

This way, maybe the USMNT can start moving up the ladder in the world of international soccer again, instead of falling backwards.