A growing group of former U.S. men’s national team players have called on the U.S. Soccer Federation to part ways with head coach Gregg Berhalter following the team’s exit from the Copa America group stage. feel the same.
The US lost 1-0 to Uruguay on Monday, sealing their fate with a second defeat in the group stage. However, the damage had already been done with last Thursday’s surprise 2-1 defeat to Panama, leaving the USMNT at a serious disadvantage ahead of their most difficult Group C match against Uruguay. The divisive Berhalter has been regularly criticized by certain sections of the fanbase since returning to the role in September, but the Copa America failure means pressure has increased on the head coach. It has now reached the point where former national team members are openly calling for his dismissal, especially with the 2026 World Cup on home soil top of mind.
The chatter came as soon as the defeat to Uruguay was official, when Fox announcer Alexi Lalas argued the criticism was justified.
“I know the knives are out and they should be because this is not good enough from Gregg Berhalter.” he said on the broadcast. “You have to ask – with 2026 approaching and the pike coming down, we can’t afford to waste it. We can’t afford to be ashamed and we can’t afford to spend the summer to arrive from ’26 with a team that has not progressed, that has not evolved and has not improved.”
Charlie Davies was more blunt in a post-match reaction version of Call It What You Want, a CBS Sports Golazo Network podcast.
“If you don’t at least get out of the Copa America group – forget about reaching the semi-finals but get out of the group – to me that’s the sign that we need a new manager,” Davies said on Monday. . “This has to be the rating system and if you don’t do it here in the group stages what does that mean for the future? That doesn’t mean he can’t progress if he’s still the manager, but in terms of retaining people .” being accountable to the expectations of the job, that’s a problem for me.”
Herculez Gomez, a member of the 2010 World Cup team, said he called for Berhalter’s removal as early as March, when the US got past Jamaica and then beat an unimpressive Mexico team to win the Concacaf Nations League. He also had some criticism of the players, most of whom have worked with Berhalter since he was first hired to lead the team in 2019.
“I called on him to step aside so he could be let go.” Gomez said on ESPN. “Nothing has changed now because I don’t think anything is going to change with these players and the worst thing here is that it is the players who vouched for him. They are the players who wanted Gregg Berhalter back. They feel comfortable at Gregg Berhalter. I’ll tell you what: it’s time for these players to get a little uncomfortable. The rest of the world, that’s what it’s all about. If this was a serious football country, a serious federation, this question wouldn’t be question. Action would be taken immediately.”
Stu Holden, another member of the 2010 team and a fellow Fox broadcaster, argued that the Nations League victory covered the cracks that became visible during the Copa America.
“Gregg Berhalter will bear the heaviest responsibility, and so he should.” he wrote on X. “The players have to take a big responsibility and if we really analyze this group, most of them have underperformed for the club/country since the World Cup. The wins in the domestic league + Mexico have closed the gaps.”
Some former players have also chosen to recommend new people for Berhalter’s job. Tab Ramos, who attended three World Cups in the 1990s, recommended an “experienced international coach”. instead of an MLS pick, which Berhalter was.
USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, who played in goal at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, got even bolder when he suggested Jurgen Klopp would be the next head coach.
‘If I were in charge of US Soccer right now, I’d be on my way to the airport’ he wrote in a column for the Daily Mail. “Why? Because I believe I could make a very convincing argument for Jürgen Klopp to take over the US men’s national team. … If [U.S. Soccer] If they decide that Gregg Berhalter can’t survive this Copa America campaign, if they decide that another manager should lead the USMNT to a home World Cup in 2026, then they should go for the jackpot.”
Klopp is out of work after leaving Liverpool in May, ending a nearly decade-long run of success in England. However, it seems unlikely that the UEFA Champions League winner will accept an offer at this stage. He left Liverpool in search of some much-needed rest and has said he does not want to work for a year. It is also unclear what move he would prefer to make after his sabbatical, especially as Klopp has no experience of coaching national teams.
There is currently no timeline for a decision on Berhalter’s employment, either way. US Soccer said it will undergo a review following the team’s disappointment in the Copa America, which the federation said “did not meet our expectations” in a statement after the match on Monday.