Berhalter Maintains Confidence Despite Early Exit
U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter remains optimistic about his future at the helm, despite a disappointing campaign in the recent tournament. Under his leadership, the U.S. team managed just one win and finished third in Group C, tallying a mere three points.
Group C was dominated by Uruguay, who topped the group with a flawless nine-point record, followed by Panama, who secured their spot in the next round with six points. The critical moment for the U.S. came during their match against Panama, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat. This crucial loss was compounded by the early expulsion of Timothy Weah, who received a red card in the 18th minute, significantly impacting the team's performance.
Reflecting on the match against Panama, Berhalter acknowledged the sting of the loss. "Obviously, the loss against Panama really hurt. I think when you talk about being, 80th minute, in a good position to get a draw and get something out of the game, we didn't get it," he remarked. He also pointed out the need for improvement in their low block defending. "When you look at that moment specifically, there's some issues there. I think in that game in particular, a low block defending, needed to improve in that moment."
The U.S. Soccer Federation has responded to the team's early exit by announcing a comprehensive review of the tournament performance. Berhalter, now in his fifth year as head coach, supports this initiative, stating, "We're going to do a review of the whole tournament and see where we fell short. The margins are so small and there's very little separating any of these teams and you have to treat every game as the same."
Despite the setbacks, Berhalter remains confident in the team's abilities and efforts. "When you see the effort tonight that we put in, it's incredible. The guys did a great job. They worked extremely hard, put in a great effort against a really good team but that needs to be the standard every time we step onto the field," he explained. Defensively, Berhalter believes the team is fundamentally strong. "Defensively, we're a very good team. Most games, we have higher expected goals than the opponent. We create chances, we move the ball well. To me, the whole thing is, you want to keep moving the team forward and I feel like we have."
The current squad is a blend of experience and youth, including a significant number who competed in the 2022 World Cup and three players aged 30 and over. Berhalter points to this depth as a sign of progress. "You think about the depth of the squad, the number of players that have played in games, so there's certainly improvement and we need to keep going. In my opinion, it's not something you say, 'Okay, this program's doomed.' It's not the case at all. It was a poor performance, we didn't get the results we expected and we need to get better."
Whether Berhalter will continue as head coach is not for him to decide. When asked about his future, he succinctly replied, "That's not up to me." His focus remains on reviewing the team's performance, identifying areas for improvement, and ensuring the squad evolves and progresses.
As the U.S. Soccer Federation undertakes its review, the broader narrative is clear: the U.S. men's national team must confront the lessons of this tournament head-on. Berhalter's reflection on both the strategic and tactical elements speaks to a commitment to accountability and growth. Fans and stakeholders alike will be watching closely to see how the team recalibrates and moves forward under the continued or new leadership.