USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter sacked after dismal Copa América performance

Gregg Berhalter was fired as coach of the United States men’s national soccer team on Wednesday, nine days after his team was eliminated in the first round of the Copa América, raising questions about whether he was the right person to continue leading the team through the 2026 World Cup.

Berhalter’s second stint as coach was cut short 10 months after he returned to the bench with high expectations and proclaimed that the team’s goal was to “change soccer in America forever.” In his second stint as coach, the U.S. won seven games, lost six and tied one, bringing his total record to 44 wins, 17 losses and 13 draws.

Technical director Matt Crocker has rehired Berhalter and will also make a recommendation for his replacement. The team will play friendlies against Canada and New Zealand in September.

“Our immediate focus is on finding a coach who can maximise our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup and we have already begun our search process,” Crocker said in a statement.

Jürgen Klopp, Thierry Henry and Marcelo Bielsa are among the candidates mentioned as possible replacements for Berhalter, along with Jesse Marsch, Hugo Pérez, Pellegrino Matarazzo, David Wagner, Steve Cherundolo, Jim Curtain, Massimiliano Allegri and Mauricio Pochettino.

Salary, however, could be an issue. Berhalter earned $2.2 million in 2022, including $900,000 in bonuses for the Americans qualifying for the World Cup and reaching the second round. A top coach for the men’s team could pressure U.S. Soccer to raise the salary of newly hired women’s coach Emma Hayes.

There are just 23 months to go before the World Cup comes to the United States for a second time, with the Americans playing their season opener in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2026. The only competitive matches with the full squad will likely be in the Concacaf Nations League.

Berhalter was the first American to coach the national team after playing for the team at a World Cup. He was hired to coach the U.S. in December 2018 after stints with Sweden’s Hammarby (2011-13) and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew (2013-18).

He led the U.S. to Concacaf Nations League titles in 2020, 2023 and 2024 and another with a B team in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. His players were vocal in their support of Berhalter, saying he fostered a culture that brought the group together.

That support led to Crocker rehiring Berhalter five months after his initial contract expired, amid an investigation into a decades-old domestic abuse allegation brought to U.S. Soccer’s attention by the Reyna family, who were upset that Berhalter limited Gio Reyna’s playing time at the World Cup. A law firm hired by U.S. Soccer said there was no legal obstacle to bringing Berhalter back.

His detractors cited the lack of success against teams outside the region and the problems on foreign soil against Central American rivals. Under Berhalter, the U.S. failed to defeat a team in the top 25 of the FIFA rankings outside of Concacaf.

The U.S. won the region’s final automatic World Cup berth based on goal difference and had the second-youngest team at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The U.S. squandered a second-half lead in a 1-1 draw with Wales, drew 0-0 with England and defeated Iran 1-0 to reach the knockout stage, where the U.S. played poorly in a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.

Players showed a lack of discipline: defender Sergiño Dest was shown a red card for arguing with a referee against Trinidad and Tobago last November and winger Tim Weah was sent off in a crucial Copa match against Panama America because he punched an opponent.

“Gregg has earned the respect of everyone within our organization and has played a pivotal role in assembling a young team and moving the program forward,” said Crocker.

In general, U.S. coaches have not fared well in a second cycle. Bruce Arena led the team to a quarterfinal appearance in 2002, its best since 1930, and then failed to advance beyond the group stage in 2006. Bob Bradley’s team reached the second round in 2010, earning him a four-year contract extension, but U.S. Soccer fired him 11 months later after the U.S. blew a two-goal lead and lost to Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final.

Jürgen Klinsmann replaced Bradley and led the team to the second round of the 2014 World Cup, only to be fired after opening the final round of 2018 qualifying with a 2–1 home loss to Mexico and a 4–0 defeat at Costa Rica. Arena returned, and the U.S. lost at Trinidad and Tobago on the final day of qualifying, ending a streak of seven consecutive World Cup appearances.

While the new coach takes on players like Christian Pulisic (Milan), Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), who have performed excellently at European clubs, goalkeepers Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) and Ethan Horvath (Cardiff) and Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) have failed to get playing time at First Division teams.