What America Needs From Berhalter's USMNT
Ahead of Gregg Berhalter's debut as USMNT coach against Panama, wholesale changes are needed from top to bottom
by Kevin Egan
We are somewhat of an enigma here in the United States, in that we’re both forgiving and arrogant as a soccer nation.
On the men's side, the US are not champions at anything in this sport. Never have been.
The United States failed to reach the 2018 World Cup in disastrous style. The talent pool is bereft of Harry Kanes or Lionel Messis. The last year was wasted finding a new coach.
So why am I optimistic about the future of the USMNT when I should be glum?
Gregg Berhalter, that’s why.
I began calling Major League Soccer games in 2013, the year Berhalter became the head coach and general manager of the Columbus Crew. Berhalter transformed the team with little to no help from an absentee owner in Anthony Precourt, who was happy to see his MLS asset increase in value without having to spend to improve the on-field product.
Despite the ownership obstacle, the Crew did improve under Berhalter, qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs four times in five seasons - including an MLS Cup Final appearance in 2015 - after missing the playoffs in the previous two seasons.
Now, the 45-year-old from New Jersey has his chance to impress as leader of the country he represented 44 times as a player.
Berhalter will have to produce results quickly, because as forgiving as this soccer nation is, the masses were not happy with his appointment at the expense of what many believe to have been better, more qualified candidates, like new Mexico boss Tata Martino.
Marking a fresh start for a withered nation, the Berhalter era kicks off on Sunday against Panama.
This is what I’d like to see from him and the USMNT before the Gold Cup in June:
Stay True To What You Believe In
“You identify players based on their profile and how they would fit into what we’re trying to do on the field." Thank you, Gregg.
For too long, the USMNT have been trucking along, picking the best available collection of individuals, rather than fielding the best available team.
I hope Berhalter stays true to himself and his philosophy. This picture will take time to develop, but it has the potential to be beautiful.
The USMNT Can Ball And Brawl
Just because we talk about establishing a certain "style of play" for the USMNT, it doesn’t mean the passion and desire we’ve seen from previous teams can't return. I miss that.
The Trinidad & Tobago debacle in 2017 was alarming on many levels, particularly because of how passive and soft the team looked. Under Berhalter, it’s possible for the United States to play in a possession-based, progressive way, while also dragging back much of what it means to fight for your national team jersey.
Lose The Arrogance
Neither US Soccer, the fans, nor the USMNT itself have any reason to exude arrogance, yet all of the above do. Why?
From the very top at US Soccer, to its staff, and in the past, its players and managers, this attitude has been unfathomable. Remember "A River To Russia"? A simple tweet from the official US Soccer Twitter account mocking the T&T pitch before the crushing loss in Couva was a microcosm of our national team setup. It’s unfortunate, and it’s imperative that it changes.
When Matt Miazga ridiculed Mexico's Diego Lainez for being short, our soccer nation celebrated. I thought it was quite sad, and a sobering snapshot of where we’re at as a nation - something that goes beyond sport.
Americans can be tough, we can smack talk, and we can engage in mental warfare, without lowering ourselves to such embarrassing, adolescent antics. It’s what I expect to see in a high school jock movie, not from a national team player.
Again, our national team’s Twitter account celebrated this moment, as did many of our leading voices in media. I hope Gregg Berhalter and his staff instill a more sophisticated, professional approach.
Lead The Intelligent Young Core
Our first look at Berhalter will be this Sunday, when he experiments with a roster of 23 MLS players.
Some will take their chance and emerge as integral members of this team, but most won’t. The USMNT has so many bright young talents that are doing brilliantly in Europe, and I think Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent will become regulars in the Starting XI, but all things considered, these are still kids on the international scene.
A good coach and mentor, both on and off the field, will mean so much as the USMNT build toward the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and ultimately a World Cup on home soil in 2026.
Former interim coach Dave Sarachan was praised for the work he did after Bruce Arena was fired, but in truth he benefitted from a role with zero expectations. That changes now.
Gregg Berhalter has been handed a fresh group of young players and a clean slate, so he must produce.