In the tempestuous world of soccer, stability often serves as a refuge amid the swirl of ever-changing tactics, formations, and footballing philosophies. Yet, at times, the quest for stability can thrust one into the very eye of the storm, as evidenced by the U.S. Soccer Federation's decision to reappoint Gregg Berhalter as the head coach of the United States Men's National Team.
One element missing from this article is the belief held by me and many other fans is that Berhalter has held this team back. Despite having the best record of previous managers, he is managing the most talented player pool in history. Questionable call-ups and tactics have marred his tenure leading to the “what ifs” plaguing many fans’ minds. The dominant performance the team just put out, could that have been accomplished under Berhalter? I’m not sure. I wish the team could have a clean slate but that’s not happening. Additionally, it seems as though the equal equity (I’m not we’ll versed in the actual linguistics of the decision) with the women's team might have played a role in the hiring process due to an inability to pay the Men’s manager more than the women’s. Hence, why did the federation flaunt a world wide search merely to land back on a manager who has so much baggage associated with him? His only saving grace seems to be the favor he’s won among some of the locker room, but we certainly won’t hear any discontent so it must be taken with a grain of salt in my opinion.
--> Your third paragraph (timing of the announcement) is spot-on. It couldn't be better said.
--> Your fifth paragraph (Gold Cup) is perfect. There's not even the excuse that the "new" coach needs to take a moment to acquaint himself with the player pool. This is his own player pool (with the exception of Balogun). He knows the squad and they know him. There's no need for an "introductory period". Even with a brand new (foreign) manager I'd expect him to take over already.
--> About Pepi's quote: What do we expect the 20-year-old to say? That he thinks another manager would have been better? To remain silent? With the real prospect of falling to 2nd in the striker depth chart behind Balogun, of course he's going to want to re-establish a good relationship with Berhalter.
--> What I'd like to know is: What was the candidate pool like? Was there even an attempt at trying to find a coach with a better resumé? How much was offered as salary? A well-established, qualified international manager might cost more, but World Cup 2026 will be a financial windfall for US Soccer; and paying someone who could get us out of the quarterfinals would be worth it in the long-run.
--> Is there a clause for releasing him based on Copa America results? If the US is not ready under his *continued* leadership next summer, then he should be ditched while there's time to attract a new coach. An international coach with a good resumé might be willing to step in a year-and-a-half before the World Cup.
One element missing from this article is the belief held by me and many other fans is that Berhalter has held this team back. Despite having the best record of previous managers, he is managing the most talented player pool in history. Questionable call-ups and tactics have marred his tenure leading to the “what ifs” plaguing many fans’ minds. The dominant performance the team just put out, could that have been accomplished under Berhalter? I’m not sure. I wish the team could have a clean slate but that’s not happening. Additionally, it seems as though the equal equity (I’m not we’ll versed in the actual linguistics of the decision) with the women's team might have played a role in the hiring process due to an inability to pay the Men’s manager more than the women’s. Hence, why did the federation flaunt a world wide search merely to land back on a manager who has so much baggage associated with him? His only saving grace seems to be the favor he’s won among some of the locker room, but we certainly won’t hear any discontent so it must be taken with a grain of salt in my opinion.
Nice article, Jake.
--> Your third paragraph (timing of the announcement) is spot-on. It couldn't be better said.
--> Your fifth paragraph (Gold Cup) is perfect. There's not even the excuse that the "new" coach needs to take a moment to acquaint himself with the player pool. This is his own player pool (with the exception of Balogun). He knows the squad and they know him. There's no need for an "introductory period". Even with a brand new (foreign) manager I'd expect him to take over already.
--> About Pepi's quote: What do we expect the 20-year-old to say? That he thinks another manager would have been better? To remain silent? With the real prospect of falling to 2nd in the striker depth chart behind Balogun, of course he's going to want to re-establish a good relationship with Berhalter.
--> What I'd like to know is: What was the candidate pool like? Was there even an attempt at trying to find a coach with a better resumé? How much was offered as salary? A well-established, qualified international manager might cost more, but World Cup 2026 will be a financial windfall for US Soccer; and paying someone who could get us out of the quarterfinals would be worth it in the long-run.
--> Is there a clause for releasing him based on Copa America results? If the US is not ready under his *continued* leadership next summer, then he should be ditched while there's time to attract a new coach. An international coach with a good resumé might be willing to step in a year-and-a-half before the World Cup.