Kansas City (AFP) – Gregg Berhalter insisted he was still the right man to lead the United States at the 2026 World Cup on home soil after a historic early exit from the Copa America on Monday. Berhalter, a polarising personality who has frequently faced calls to resign during his tenure as coach, cut a dejected figure after the USA’s 1-0 defeat to Uruguay saw them knocked out in the group phase.
The embarrassing exit was the first time in Copa America history that the host nation has failed to advance from the group stage and reignited debate about Berhalter’s future, with the US due to host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico in two years’ time.
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The 50-year-old was adamant however that he should lead the team to that tournament as fresh calls for him to be fired erupted after Monday’s loss. Asked if he should take the team to the World Cup, Berhalter gave a one-word answer: “Yes.”
Berhalter earlier said US Soccer would conduct a thorough review of their Copa America campaign, which began with a 2-0 win over Bolivia before hurtling off the rails with a 2-1 loss to Panama.
“We’re going to do a review of the whole tournament and then see where we fell short,” Berhalter said. “It’s obvious that the Panama game hurt us, put us behind the eight ball. I think collectively the staff, the players, the sporting department, we need to look at where do we improve? How do we do better? It’s not the aspirations that we have as a group. We know it’s a talented team with big potential and we didn’t show it in this tournament.”
– ‘Not good enough’ –
Berhalter’s insistence that he should oversee the USA at the World Cup had little support from analysts in the aftermath of Monday’s exit.
Former USA striker Clint Dempsey said Berhalter should be replaced. Asked if he believed Berhalter should remain in the job, Dempsey replied: “I don’t think so. I don’t think we’ve progressed since the last World Cup. We’re not on the right track.”
And who is someone that’s good enough that can take us forward, that’s out there waiting in the wings? Those are questions that the federation needs to figure out. But for me, it hasn’t been good enough.”
Dempsey’s criticisms were echoed by former USA women’s striker Carli Lloyd. “I just think right now in this particular moment, you need to shake everything up,” Lloyd said. “Get players on their toes again, held accountable. A new fresh face to come in and ignite the team again.”
Former US international defender Alexi Lalas said allowing Berhalter to remain in the position risked squandering the opportunity represented by staging the 2026 World Cup, for which they qualify automatically as hosts. “The summer of 2026 is an opportunity not just for American soccer but for the country to come together,” Lalas said. “And you need somebody that is going to pull people together. And right now, Gregg Berhalter, because of the fact that he has failed to a certain extent, has not given people hope we are headed in the right direction. He has become incredibly polarising because of the results. Because if this is as good as it gets, it’s not good enough. There’s plenty of excuses, but they don’t matter.”
© 2024 AFP
