Calls for Berhalter to step down from US team grow

NEW YORK (AP):

JÜRGEN KLOPP, Thierry Henry and Marcelo Bielsa are among those being speculated about as candidates to take over from Gregg Berhalter as US coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Jesse Marsch, Hugo Pérez, Pellegrino Matarazzo and David Wagner could be considered if Berhalter is fired or quits. Among high-level European club coaches, Massimiliano Allegri and Mauricio Pochettino also are available.

Berhalter remained as coach on Tuesday, a day after the US were eliminated from the Copa America in the first round with a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay. He has a contract through the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the US, but has lost the support of a significant portion of the fan base.

“I don’t think anybody would bat an eye. Most teams and federations, it would be a fait accompli,” former US defender Alexi Lalas, now Fox’s lead football analyst, said yesterday.

“At a time where we need to be energised and excited about the leadership going into the next two years, I think we find ourselves questioning and negative and cynical and divided, let’s be honest, relative to what can be in 2026.”

Some aren’t convinced the Unted States Soccer Federation (USSF) will force out Berhalter, given the length of time it took to make decisions the last two times the job was open.

“If this were any other country, I think the decision would probably have been a lot easier, but I think they’re going to be reluctant to make any changes, at least any time soon,” said Tony Meola, the starting goalkeeper at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

Kasey Keller, the goalkeeper in 1998 and 2006, said a top European manager would force the US to increase the salary of newly hired women’s coach Emma Hayes.

“It’s not that simple because of what the federation has done and the decisions they’ve made on how they’re going to implement budgets for the men and the women,” said Keller, now an ESPN analyst.

Led by Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, the current player pool has the most illustrious pedigree in American football history. In last month’s friendly against Colombia, for the first time all 11 starters played for clubs in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

Yet, the team has seven wins, six losses and one draw since Berhalter returned to the bench last September.

Matt Crocker was hired as USSF sporting director in April 2023 and made last year’s decision to bring Berhalter back. He again would lead a search.

“Matt Crocker, this is on him in that he’s hired Gregg, and so if there is a problem it means admitting not just a mistake but a colossal mistake,” Lalas said.