USMNT

Gregg Berhalter’s Legacy

Published

2 years ago

July 15, 2024

Zach McCabe

Gregg Berhalter’s time as the USMNT manager has come to an end. USSF has made the announcement that they have terminated Berhalter’s contract after 5 years in charge of the USMNT. There are many highs and lows during his time as manager with just as many praises and controversies. After the humiliating defeat at Couva during the 2018 World Cup Qualifying, there needed to be a change and the goal for 2022 was to qualify no matter what and how. It was understandable for many fans to let bad results during Berhalter’s first cycle because of the goal we had set for 2022. Now that we made it out of the group during the 2022 WC, the expectations for the USMNT would increase. Those expectations have not been fulfilled since the rehiring of Gregg Berhalter. Here are the top 10 reasons he had to go.

Crashing out of the 2024 Copa America

We were invited and given the rights to host the 2024, Copa America. The USMNT’s first time participating and hosting the tournament since 2016. The only players to appear in both tournaments were Christian Pulisic and Ethan Horvath. On paper, the 2024 squad was better than the 2016 squad in almost every position. Jürgen Klinsmann had a weaker squad but managed to reach the Semi-Finals in the 2016 Copa America. It is one of the biggest accomplishments for the USMNT in recent history. When you look at this year’s roster and what they did last year, the minimum goal should be the Quarterfinals and at most a Semi-Final appearance. The USMNT did not come anywhere close.

Players like Weston McKennie and Musah greatly underperformed. A lack of discipline cost us games, like Tim Weah’s red card, and the foul that led to the Uruguay goal. Against Bolivia, the USMNT only scored 2 goals against the worst team in CONMEBOL (1 win and a -10 GD in their WCQ campaign). Giving up a lead when a man down and ultimately losing to Panama should never have happened, especially against a team that the USMNT has only lost to at home 3 times since 1993. This put the USMNT in the worst possible situation in the tournament, a result against Uruguay and a win or draw for Bolivia.

Good news did arrive for the USMNT when Bolivia tied the game, but this led to Berhalter informing our players prior to a set piece about the score. This gave the indication that he wanted to chase for a draw, which has been a common theme during his tenure. You cannot rely on Bolivia to bail you out. You MUST go for the win. As Herculez Gomez said, it is a loser mentality.

People will blame the refs, Weah’s red card, or not having Dest, but that is not an excuse for poor in-game management by Berhalter. After the firing of Gregg Berhalter, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle wrote an article where he said that our group exit from the 2024 Copa America is the first time the USMNT had been eliminated in the group stage of a tournament that was being hosted in the US. That is just one more stain on the legacy of Gregg Berhalter.

Poor Match Results

As mentioned, the poor result against Panama, a team we should have defeated even with a man down. There are plenty more matches to talk about. Since being rehired, Berhalter has a 7-1-6 record. The most infamous would be against Trinidad & Tobago away. Again, people will use the excuse that Dest got a red card, and it does not matter since we had qualified for the next round of the 2024 Nations League. That was a game you should not have lost even with a man down, more so than the Panama match. There are many other games that can be mentioned but let’s look at more record first. Berhalter has an overall record of 44-13-17. When playing outside of the US, the record is 4-7-8.

Against top 20 FIFA ranked teams, the record is 5-5-8. Four of those wins came against Mexico and the other being against Iran. When we compare him to Klinsmann and Bob Bradley against top 20 FIFA ranked teams, Klinsmann was 10-6-14 and Bradley was 9-5-15. For Bradley, only 3 of those wins were against the same team (Mexico) and 6 in total were against the same teams (2 times against Ecuador, Germany, and Mexico each) for Klinsmann. This record would make Berhalter the winningest coach by percentage in USMNT history, but there are important contexts to include. Jamaica was just seconds away from eliminating us in the NL Semi-Finals until an own goal by Cory Burke. The USMNT did rally to defeat them 3-1 in extra time, but it was still humiliating for the team.

Then you have the loss against Colombia before the Copa America where we lost 1-5. The last time the team conceded 5 goals was in 2009. A 1-3 defeat against Germany back in Oct of 2023 where we were not competitive at all. From June 5 to November 25, 2022, the US had a 1-5-1 record. The last match I will reference is the match against Honduras in San Pedro Sula where we had no control over the game in the 1^st half. It was not until Ricardo Pepi helped save Berhalter’s job with 2 assists and 1 goal to give us a 1-4 win.

Tactics

One of the biggest problems that Gregg Berhalter has is in-game management and pre-game tactics. His go to formation is a 4-3-3, which is not always bad, but it is defensive minded and creates little chances. We have seen that over the 5 years of having him as a manager. During the 2022 WCQ, our goals per match were 1.5 and 1.8 during the 2021 Gold Cup. The goals conceded per match was 0.2 during that Gold Cup and 0.7 during the WCQ. Yes, statistically we would not concede a goal, but the USMNT was likely to only win 1-0. No one likes a 1-0 game, because not only is it boring, but it is risky. All it would take is for the opposition to score 1 goal to take 2 points from you. Make it a mission to get 2 goals every game to give you some breathing space. Berhalter also looks to park the bus, even when it is a tie.

Against Panama in the Copa America, Berhalter decided to park the bus when it was tied and with a man down at the start of the 2^nd half. That is a high toll to ask the players to park it for 45+ minutes. You knew you were playing Uruguay next, and that Panama has a very good chance of beating Bolivia. A draw against Uruguay was going to be very difficult. Yes, we were a man down, but that does not mean we should have given up getting the 2^nd goal. As we saw, we conceded a 2^nd goal and it cost us to be in the worst possible situation in the group stage.

Besides parking the bus, Berhalter wants us to score primarily off the wings and from crosses. Against Jamaica during the 2024 NL, we attempted 41 crosses with only 11 being accurate. None of the 3 goals in that match came from a cross. Against Trinadad & Tobago at home during the QF of the 2024 NL, they went 11 for 39 on crosses. The first goal did not come until the 80^th minute mark, which should never have come close to being a draw against Trinadad & Tobago at home. Only 1 of the 3 goals we scored in the last 10 minutes were from a cross. When BJ Callaghan led the team during the 2023 NL, our crosses were reduced to 17 attempts in both matches. In both matches, the goals came from up the middle where the team scored a total of 5 goals and 0 goals conceded.

It was some of the best football that this group of guys have played in the last 5 years. The players can score more goals than 1 and can score goals without crossing the ball. As we can see, Berhalter does not know how to react when things do not go to plan as we saw against Panama and against Colombia. A coach needs to be able to react and make the right call when things go sideways. That is a major weakness of his and pundits have pointed it out in the past. After Wales got their goal in the 2022 WC against the USMNT, Berhalter responded by substituting in Jordan Morris instead of Gio Reyna. Gio Reyna is a playmaker, Jordan Morris is not. At the time, the US did not have a playmaker on the pitch and that would be the time to use our best player in that role, Gio Reyna. That is not the first time.

During his 2^nd cycle, Berhalter would commonly substitute Gio Reyna off when he decides to hold a draw or goes a man down. The US did not win a single game when Gio was subbed off. During the Copa America, Berhalter left Johnny Cardoso on the bench for Tyler Adams. Johnny was developed in Brazil and played in several Copa Libertadores and was a standout in LaLiga once he arrived. Tyler Adams only played a total of 138 minutes between the EPL and the EFL Cup last season (Adams was out for majority of the season due to injuries). Common sense would say to start Johnny Cardoso, but Gregg Berhalter did the complete opposite. Besides that, Weston McKennie had been playing poorly for the USMNT all year and looked visibly unfit during the Copa America.

Berhalter continued to start McKennie and gave him a total of 258 minutes. Berhalter continued to award McKennie with starts and minutes when common sense would say that he must be benched. Berhalter also had a major problem with rotating players and that had a major impact on the endurance of the players when it came to tournaments. It was noticeable during the 2022 WC and Copa America. These are all things that will be remembered by fans.

Player Selection

During his 1^st cycle, Gregg Berhalter called up an astounding 65 different players in just competitive matches alone. During the WCQ, he called up 39 different players to the camps. Yes, after the 2018 cycle, the USMNT had to rebuild, but does it really require trying out 65 different players to figure that out? For the WCQ, 13 of the 39 did not make the final cut. I can understand making 2-3 changes every camp at the youth level, but this is the senior level. He had already been with the team for 2 years. He should have had a better idea who he needed to bring with him to the WCQ, which started in the Fall of 2021.

The changes in the WCQ roster make sense if there is an injury, but not all the changes were made due to injuries, i.e., Gianluca Busio and Paul Arriola. Berhalter had from 2019 to the Summer of 2021 to determine his WCQ roster and the alternate players. When creating a team, either for business or sports, you need cohesion, or brotherhood to Berhalter, to get the best out of the team when the results matter.

Continuously making changes for the most important competitive matches in your tenure will lead to problems. By the end of the WCQ, the USMNT tied for 3^rd in points and only qualified through goal differential. The USMNT had a record of 7-4-3 with the away record being 1-3-3. Who knows what that record could have been if the roster was more consistent. Berhalter has improved his roster selection by focusing more on the players in Europe than the players in the MLS. The argument for having half the roster or more being MLS players because they were veteran players and the players in Europe were too young. It is an understandable reason, if that is the case.

He did make significant changes to the roster when he took back control of the team by removing Jordan Morris, Jesus Ferreira, and Cristian Roldan from the team. In this current cycle, Berhalter called up 36 different players in the 14 matches he oversaw. To note, 7 of the 36 are or were MLS-based players.

Achievements

Gregg Berhalter does deserve big credit to the achievements he made while the manager of the USMNT. While in charge of the team, he won the CONCACAF Gold Cup and won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 and 2024. Now, you can make an argument that the players had a bigger part in that, when this is the best generation of players we have ever had. Berhalter was still the manager and deserves the credit as well.

After the US failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, Gregg Berhalter accomplished qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. It might not have been the prettiest World Cup for the USMNT, but the team did advance to the first round of the knockout stage. That will be a positive note for his legacy as a USMNT manager. The only thing that is missing from his list of achievements is a signature win.

There is one more piece to Gregg Berhalter’s legacy that will be remembered by many fans, but I doubt would be a footnote to his legacy (it would eventually be forgotten). That being his relationship with the players. I touched a little on in the “Tactics” section by awarding players starts and minutes when they did not deserve it, but it goes further than that. It is known and visible that Berhalter showed favoritism towards certain players, those being the players on the “leadership committee”. These players continued to play match after match when they did not deserve it or were too physically tired to continue.

Tyler Adams mentioned in a press conference during the 2024 Copa America that he never speaks to Berhalter about soccer outside of the camps. Whether with just a few or everyone, it is a concern that a coach does not speak to his players about the sport, on or off the field. During the Copa America, it began to look like the players saw Berhalter as more of a friend than a coach. It can be seen just as a fan by comparing the discipline of the players in the 2022 cycle to the 2024 cycle. That is a huge concern within a team because it creates complacency and that was visible during the 2024 Nations League and the Copa America.

On paper, Gregg Berhalter will appear to be a top USMNT manager in its history, but once you peel those away and look deeper, he would be ranked below the likes of Bob Bradley, Bruce Arena, and Jürgen Klinsmann.

USMNT

Side by Side: The Looking at USMNT Center Back Pairings – Past & Present

Published

18 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Thomas Deschaine

If the March 2026 window revealed anything about the United States men’s national soccer team, it’s that their center-back group, whether in a two- or three-man setup, lacks cohesion heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The partnership, continuity, and communication between center backs are critical to organizing the entire defense, and right now, that foundation doesn’t look fully settled.

That realization prompted a look back over the past 40 years, examining the different center-back pairings, how they developed chemistry, and the impact those partnerships had on the USMNT at the highest level.

The Steadfast Anchor of the 1990 USMNT Defense

Mike Windischmann, captain of the 1990 USMNT World Cup team, was a cornerstone of the squad throughout the 1990 cycle. For much of that period, he was paired at center-back with Steve Trittschuh, though the two didn’t start together at the World Cup itself. Windischmann also formed defensive partnerships with John Doyle, Marcelo Balboa, and Paul Caligiuri at various points. At the World Cup, he teamed up with Jimmy Banks in two of the three matches, providing leadership and stability at the heart of the U.S. backline.

Trailblazers Building a Solid Back Line for the Future

Much like the 1990 cycle, Marcelo Balboa was a constant presence on the USMNT back line, whether playing as a sweeper under Bora Milutinović or in a back three with six midfielders in front of him under Steve Sampson. He formed key partnerships with emerging talents like Alexi Lalas, who joined the team in 1992, and dual-national Thomas Dooley. This defensive core enjoyed significant successes throughout the 1994 and 1998 cycles, including advancing out of the group stage at the 1994 World Cup, defeating Argentina at the 1995 Copa América, and taking Brazil to the brink in a hard-fought semifinal.

A Defensive Anchor in U.S. Soccer History

Widely regarded as one of the top center-backs in U.S. men’s national team history, Eddie Pope featured in three consecutive FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, and 2006), starting in all three for the USMNT. At the 2002 tournament, he anchored a formidable back line alongside Tony Sanneh and Jeff Agoos, forming a disciplined and resilient defensive unit for the United States men’s national soccer team. That group played a key role in one of the program’s deepest modern World Cup runs, but does it stand as the best defensive unit the USMNT has ever produced?

A Peak Partnership Interrupted

For me, one of the strongest center-back pairings in United States men’s national soccer team history emerged during the 2010 cycle, anchored by Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu. The duo arguably reached their peak at the 2009 Confederations Cup, forming a physically dominant and well-organized backbone.

Unfortunately, Onyewu’s injury leading into the 2010 World Cup limited his effectiveness, preventing the partnership from carrying that same level into the tournament. In his absence, Jay DeMerit stepped in seamlessly, providing valuable depth and steady performances, highlighting the overall strength of the USMNT’s center-back pool during that period.

From Breakthrough to Breakdown

The center-back pairing of Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler came together late in the 2014 cycle but quickly developed into a reliable and cohesive duo at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Their understanding and physical presence helped stabilize the back line on the world stage.

That tournament also introduced a rising presence in John Brooks, who memorably scored the game-winning goal against Ghana after Besler picked up a knock, announcing himself in a major moment.

As the cycle turned toward 2018, Brooks continued to establish himself, often partnering with Geoff Cameron, while Gonzalez and Besler remained in the mix depending on form and fitness. However, as the 2018 cycle progressed, inconsistency and a lack of cohesion among the center-backs became an issue, one of several factors that ultimately contributed to the United States men’s national soccer team failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Emerging Stability Ahead of the 2022 World Cup

Heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the United States men’s national soccer team faced real uncertainty at center back, with no clear anchor or leader emerging. That quickly changed, as Tim Ream stepped in and solidified himself as the steadying presence of the back line.

A major turning point came when Miles Robinson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the summer leading up to the tournament—a significant blow given his form and importance to the group. His absence opened the door for Walker Zimmerman, who had already been in contention, to establish a strong partnership alongside Ream.

Meanwhile, Aaron Long, returning from his own Achilles injury in 2021, earned a place on the roster, and Cameron Carter-Vickers also featured, with both players contributing minutes during the tournament. Together, this group brought stability to a position that had looked unsettled just months earlier.

2026 at Center Back Uncertainty and Opportunity

There are more questions than answers surrounding the United States men’s national soccer team center-back picture heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Chris Richards appears to be a near lock, while Tim Ream, though still a trusted presence, has shown signs of decline compared to four years ago, yet could still find his way onto the roster based on experience and leadership.

A key variable will be how Mauricio Pochettino sets up tactically, particularly whether he opts for a two or three center-back system. In a back three, players like Joe Scally and Alex Freeman could slide into right center-back roles given their versatility, while Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty provide options on the left. Miles Robinson also remains firmly in the mix as competition for a roster spot.

Perhaps the biggest unknown is Noahkai Banks. The 19-year-old dual national, currently playing in the Bundesliga, opted out of a recent USMNT camp while weighing his international future between the United States and Germany. If he ultimately commits, his emergence could significantly impact the depth and ceiling of the USMNT’s center-back pool heading into 2026.

USMNT

Voices of USMNT on the World Stage

Published

6 days ago

May 11, 2026

Thomas Deschaine

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

Over the decades, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team has been accompanied by a wide range of voices behind the microphone, delivering some of the most memorable calls in World Cup history.

Along the way, several standout broadcast duos have helped shape the viewing experience and left a lasting mark on the USMNT landscape.

Here’s a look back at the voices that have defined US World Cup broadcasts since 1990.

1990 FIFA World Cup – Italy

Network: ESPN

Play-by-play: Bob Ley

Color: Paul Gardner

Coverage of the USMNT at the 1990 World Cup was limited, particularly in the early rounds, but Bob Ley emerged as one of the defining voices of soccer on U.S. television during that era. His presence helped introduce a new generation of American fans to the international game, providing context and credibility at a time when the global stage still felt unfamiliar to much of the US audience.

1994 FIFA World Cup – United States of America

1998 FIFA World Cup – France

2002 FIFA World Cup – Japan / South Korea

Networks: ABC / ESPN

Play-by-play: JP Dellacamera

Color: Ty Keough

This play-by-play and color commentary duo called three World Cups for the USMNT, becoming the defining voice of the team during my peak viewing years. Ty Keough the former USMNT midfielder from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

JP Dellacamera stands out as one of, if not the, best play-by-play announcers and remains one of my favorites. While others on this list delivered memorable moments, they didn’t quite match that same level of longevity.

2006 FIFA World Cup – Germany

Networks: ABC / ESPN

Play-by-play: Dave O’Brien

Color: Marcelo Balboa

New England native Dave O’Brien, widely known today for calling major sports across his career, had just one World Cup as the primary play-by-play voice for the USMNT. His run calling USMNT matches, primarily in the mid-2000s on ESPN, was relatively brief but still memorable. While he isn’t as closely associated with the USMNT as some other broadcasters, he was behind the mic for several standout moments during that era.

2010 FIFA World Cup – South Korea

Network: ESPN

Play-by-play: Ian Darke

Color: John Harkes

Ian Darke brought a global voice to American audiences as the lead play-by-play announcer for the USMNT during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Already well known around the world, he made the tournament easy to connect with for U.S. fans and delivered one of the most iconic calls in American soccer history.

Darke’s iconic call of the USMNT game winning goal by Landon Donovan in must win final group stage match against Algeria to advance to the knockout stage of the 2010 World Cup gives me chills every time I see it.

2014 FIFA World Cup – Brazil

Networks: ESPN / ABC

Play-by-play: Ian Darke

Color: Taylor Twellman

This duo might be my favorite to date. Ian Darke brought a clear, global voice to USMNT viewers during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making the tournament easy to follow for US fans while elevating the biggest moments with calm, sharp, and memorable calls.

Alongside him, Taylor Twellman emerged as one of the most recognizable and influential voices of the modern era, primarily as a lead analyst on ESPN. His passionate, unfiltered style stood out, most notably with his unforgettable “What are we doing?!” reaction following the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a moment that’s still talked about today.

2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar

Network: FOX Sports

Play-by-play: John Strong

Color: Stu Holden

If the USMNT had qualified for the 2018 World Cup, this broadcast team would have called their matches, marking what would have been a third straight World Cup cycle with the same primary commentary crew. It’s also likely he’ll be paired again with Stu Holden for USMNT matches at the 2026 World Cup.

John Strong has served as a lead play-by-play voice for U.S. soccer on FOX Sports since 2018, bringing a modern, high-energy style to the booth. Since taking on major international assignments, he’s become one of the defining voices for USMNT audiences in top competitions, known for his clear, sharp calls and a big-game tone that fits the moment.

Club News

The Expanding Impact of MLS on the World Cup

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2026

Thomas Deschaine

The growth and success of Major League Soccer has led to more players from around the world representing MLS at the World Cup, with this summer’s tournament expected to feature the highest total yet.

1998 was the first World Cup played after the launch of Major League Soccer. Here’s a breakdown of MLS-based players on World Cup rosters by year:

1998 – 18 (T-8th)
Tied with Liga MX for 8th most. This would the first and only time the USMNT World Cup roster

2002 – 11 (18th)
All 11 were from the USMNT

2006 – 15 (14th)
11 of the 15 were #USMNT players.

2010 – 6 (25th)
The lowest total to date. Only 6 MLS players, with 4 on the USMNT. This coincided with the peak of US players based in Europe.

2014 – 21 (10th)
Less than half were USMNT players, though the US still led the way the 10 most notably DeAndre Yedlin (20) getting the call.

2018 – 18 (11th)
This number likely would’ve been significantly higher had the USMNT qualified, potentially pushing MLS into the top 7–8 leagues.

2022 – 36 (6th)
The highest total yet, just behind Ligue 1 for 5th. Also worth noting, rosters expanded from 23 to 26 players for this tournament and the first time that the USA didn’t have the most players

Overall, the trend shows steady growth in MLS representation, both domestically and internationally.

MLS Pipeline Continues for the USMNT

It’s rare for a World Cup–qualified nation not to have a strong share of its players featured across tournament rosters. Canada was a recent exception in 2022, though their ties to MLS remain significant with multiple clubs in the league.

With roster selection less than a month away, it’s reasonable to expect that roughly a third of the #USMNT squad will come from MLS. Below is a positional breakdown of the MLS players Mauricio Pochettino has called in during his tenure as USMNT manager.

Goalkeepers

The USMNT is set to start an MLS-based goalkeeper at a World Cup for the first time, with all of the top options currently playing in MLS.

Chris Brady is one of the goalkeepers I’m most excited to watch in the coming cycles. He’s been performing at a high level in Major League Soccer and looks like a strong candidate to fill the long-term role as the USMNT’s primary starter over the next few cycles.

Chris Brady
Roman Celentano
Matt Freese
Patrick Schulte
Matt Turner

Defenders

Veteran center-backs Tim Ream and Miles Robinson seem likely to be selected with Blackmon a possibility depending on the health of the remaining pool. Arfsten seems to be almost a lock due to his ability to attack and create scoring chances with his crosses from the wing.

Max Arfsten
Tristan Blackmon
Tim Ream
Miles Robinson

Midfielders

The USMNT has strong depth in midfield, and Mauricio Pochettino’s recent roster selections suggest he’ll likely round out the squad with some of the players listed below.

One of the biggest gaps in this USMNT roster is the true dynamic, creative spark in the attacking third. Diego Luna stands out in that role, capable of unsettling defenses, breaking lines, and changing the rhythm of a match. He’s exactly the type of player who could thrive in a super-sub role, coming on against tired legs and making an impact at this summer’s World Cup.

Sebastian Berhalter
Diego Luna
Jack McGlynn
Cristian Roldan
Timothy Tillman

Forwards

Striker may be the toughest position for the MLS group to crack the #USMNT World Cup roster, but Brian White is making a strong case, scoring eight goals in his first nine MLS matches at the time of writing.

Brian White is a highly productive, “old-school” style striker for the USMNT, known for his elite positioning, relentless work rate, and ability to finish in a variety of ways. That combination makes him a strong option as a striker off the bench, where he could be especially dangerous against tired defenses at this summer’s World Cup.

Paxten Aaronson
Josh Sargent
Brian White

MLS Representation in the USMNT Player Pool

Since 1998, the last time the majority of a USMNT World Cup roster was composed primarily of MLS-based players, it has become increasingly clear that a meaningful portion of the squad still comes from MLS. Consistently, roughly 30–40% of the roster has been drawn from the domestic league, reflecting a long-standing and relatively stable trend in player selection over time which I don’t seen changing anytime soon.