US men’s national soccer coach Gregg Berhalter has been fired following his team’s early exit from the Copa America on July 1.
The 1-0 loss to Uruguay in Kansas City, Missouri, stung especially because the U.S. was the host of the tournament, which is usually held in South America. It was the first time the host country had failed to advance to the A round. eliminate since the format was introduced in 1975.
“Our immediate focus is finding a coach who can maximize our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and we have already begun our search process,” US Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said in a statement. . declaration.
Fox Sports first reported the firing.
The US is preparing to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. It will seek to showcase the results of a years-long effort to bring the quality of U.S. soccer to the level of the best teams in Europe and South America. The U.S. has advanced beyond the round of 16 only once in the modern form of the World Cup, ensuring a place in the quarterfinals in 2002.
Berhalter, 50, has received heavy criticism during his tenure at the helm of the men’s team in his two stints since 2018. In addition to dismal tournament performances, including multiple failures by his teams to win the Concacaf Gold Cup and the North American continental tournament, he it was also criticized for poor tactics and weak leadership.
The latter was most recently highlighted by an incident during the goalless match against Uruguay, where he appeared to encourage his team, informing them that they would still qualify for the next stage if results held because Panama and Bolivia, the other two members of their group, drew in the other match. Later, Uruguay scored and the USA were eliminated.
When asked in the post-game press conference if he was still the right man for the job, Berhalter said: “Yes.”
But US Soccer disagreed, firing Berhalter just over a year after rehiring him to lead the team.
It was hoped that a good performance from the American team, which features players with extensive experience at European clubs such as Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, would help increase Copa América ticket revenue for the knockout stage games in which the team participated. . clashes against countries such as Brazil and Argentina could increase the tournament’s viewership in a key market for football’s global growth.
Berhalter originally took over in 2018, but his contract expired at the end of 2022 and two interim managers took over in his absence. He was rehired in June 2023, at the time with Crocker quoting his “vision as well as experience and constructive mindset on and off the field” as the rationale behind the decision.
Crocker has since changed his mind, expressing disappointment with the team’s performance.
“We need to do better,” he said in a statement after the Uruguay match.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
