Why the United States Should Fire Gregg Berhalter

WHY THE UNITED STATES SHOULD FIRE GREGG BERHALTER – July 2, 2024 — The dust has settled on Group C of Copa America, and the United States has not qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament. It’s the first time in USMNT history that they’ve failed to advance from the group stage in a tournament they’ve hosted. It’s also the first time in Copa America history that the host country failed to reach the knockouts.

And this also brings a familiar feeling: the United States is looking up at Panama in the standings. When the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, that was rock bottom. Panama took one of the three qualifying spots that year, and the United States finished fifth. It’s been six years since then, and things were supposed to be different. Instead, Panama’s on to the knockout stages, and the Americans are out.

To put that in perspective: Panama’s population is 4.4 million. That would be the equivalent of the United States playing with only players from Kentucky. Uruguay topped Group C, and its population compares to Los Angeles. Not metro Los Angeles, L.A. proper.

Related: Uruguay vs. United States Pick and Prediction

This tournament was supposed to test the Americans against Colombia, Brazil and possibly other South American powers. Instead, it showed that the U.S. still hasn’t solved its problems in its own region. And after five years, a good amount of blame has to fall on coach Gregg Berhalter.

If it were one tournament, or a normal situation, this could be dismissed. But the U.S. will host the World Cup in two years. The U.S. soccer federation will not have a better chance to make soccer explode here for at least another three decades. After this failure, the Americans can’t go into this tournament with the same coach. Here’s why.

Lack of Discipline and Fortitude

Jay Delsing hit the nail on the head during our June 29 show: the situational awareness for the Americans is practically zero. Tim Weah getting an unnecessary red card against Panama was ridiculous. Weah’s decision meant the United States had to play down a man for 70 minutes, leading to a 2-1 loss. Ordinarily, blaming Berhalter for that would be unfair.

Except this wasn’t the first time. In November, Sergino Dest got two yellows against Trinidad and Tobago to turn an easy win into a tight battle. 2022 saw Gio Reyna’s pouting over playing time at the World Cup. In 2021, Weston McKennie got sent home from qualifying for breaking team rules. And for reasons unknown, John Brooks remains in the witness protection program…in the Bundesliga, where he’s been a key contributor for Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim.

Related: Panama vs. United States Pick and Prediction

Problems keep popping up for a young team that makes no progress. They say they enjoy playing for Berhalter, but where’s the proof of that? They don’t make these mistakes for their European club sides, but they make them in red, white and blue. At some point, the coach must be held responsible.

The same holds for the lack of mental fortitude in matches. Going down a man to Panama is difficult. But Folarin Balogun scored four minutes after that red card. You should be able to at least preserve a point against Panama in that situation. The U.S. lost that lead four minutes later. This team just doesn’t have the mental strength to get results.

Less Than the Sum Of Its Parts

On paper, the Americans should be so much better than this. This was supposed to be a “golden generation” of stars. Out of 26 players, 23 play in European leagues. Only three play in MLS, which was supposed to be a sign of progress. But it isn’t working. The last time we saw the U.S. against those European sides, the gulf in quality was clear. The Americans never came close against the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup. They ground out a scoreless draw with England, but only because of poor tactics by the Three Lions.

And…that’s it. They have no wins over a top-20 side under Berhalter except Mexico, and this Mexican side is a mess. El Tri didn’t qualify either, and it wasn’t a fluke. But the Mexicans are clear-eyed about the situation. They don’t have the solution, but they admit there’s a problem.

Related: Canada vs. Chile Pick and Prediction

Meanwhile, to our north, Canada got through its group. And it didn’t have a CONCACAF opponent like the U.S. or Mexico did. Jesse Marsch got rejected by the United States, so he went north and has Canada’s upward trend continuing. The Canadians were once an afterthought in soccer; they’re now able to go toe-to-toe with the U.S. and Mexico and expect a result. And they have 14 MLS players on their roster.

While the U.S. struggled with Panama and lost to Uruguay, Canada beat Peru and drew with Chile, after giving a credible showing against world champ Argentina. MLS isn’t necessarily the problem. The problem is that this team isn’t getting the most out of its talent.

Losing an Opportunity

The Americans have a golden opportunity to make soccer part of this country’s fabric. They’ll get a favorable draw as the host nation and strong crowd support. These players will be in the prime of their careers. And they’ll have even neutrals watching soccer for the summer.

One reason the U.S. women have been so strong for so long is 1999. That team hosted the Women’s World Cup and captured the hearts of the nation. Over 90,000 watched them beat China and lift the trophy. Young girls saw that and wanted to be like those women. The country saw what was possible.

The U.S. men had that in 1994 and gave a credible showing. Making the last 16 and going out to Brazil held no shame. But the expectations have risen drastically. Making the knockouts is now a requirement, not a goal. If the U.S. doesn’t reach the quarterfinals or better on home soil, it will have blown its best chance. If Canada makes a run while the U.S. falters, World Cup 2026 will be a total failure.

Everything we’ve seen says Berhalter is not the right man. It’s time to do what should have happened two years ago.