Gregg Berhalter is ‘wasting the USA’s golden generation’ ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Clint Dempsey claims: ‘I’m at a loss for words’
USMNT legend Clint Dempsey has criticised Gregg Berhalter and his struggling team, claiming they are wasting their “golden generation” ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The US were eliminated from the Copa America in the group stage on Monday evening after losing 1-0 to already-qualified Uruguay at Arrowhead.
The outcome has thrown Gregg Berhalter’s future into serious doubt, and FOX Sports analyst and USMNT icon Dempsey did not hold back in his criticism.
“I have no words, it’s so frustrating,” he said after the game in FS1’s coverage. “You have a team what you stand for and what you want to do well… but where have we been since 2022?
“You qualify for the World Cup, you get out of the group… where have we progressed? We haven’t. That’s the most frustrating part.
Clint Dempsey didn’t hold back in his assessment of the U.S. men’s national team on Monday
Fans made their feelings clear about Gregg Berhalter’s future from the stands in Kansas
“This is our golden generation and it seems like we’re wasting it. 2026 is coming, we’ll never get this chance again. In ’94 we had it, and now we’re getting it again, but you don’t know when the next time will come.”
Alexi Lalas also joined the discussion and fiercely criticized manager Berhalter after yet another poor performance.
āIf this is the best it can be, itās not good enough,ā the former US midfielder said. āThis is not good enough from Gregg Berhalterā¦ we canāt afford to be embarrassed, and we canāt afford to come into the summer of 2026 with a team that hasnāt grown, hasnāt evolved, hasnāt improved.ā
In addition to Dempsey, American soccer legends Carli Lloyd and Alexi Lalas also gave their opinions
Emotions ran high during the match; in the photo Christian Pulisic shouts in the face of the referee
“I’m sure if Gregg Berhalter was here, he’d say, ‘Oh, but you don’t see what’s going on inside.’ I don’t give a damn what’s going on inside. I don’t care how dynamic it is, I don’t care how much your players love you.”
In front of a crowd of 55,000 in Kansas City, Mathias Olivera scored the only goal of the game in the 66th minute, silencing the fanatical home fans.
At the end of the match, Panama had secured a 3-1 victory over Bolivia, leaving the US with two more goals to score. They were eliminated at the first hurdle.
The US is now just two years away from hosting the World Cup on home soil, but a disappointing performance at this summer’s Copa America has kept them well short of their goal.