USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has admitted to fans that he realizes he is an "easy target" for critics when it comes to national team performances.
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Berhalter speaks at fan Round TableAdmits he's "easy target" for criticsAsks for "patience" ahead of major tournamentsWHAT HAPPENED?
In a fan round tabke in Washington D.C. with American Outlaw supporters, Berhalter addressed some of the criticism that has been handed his way since taking over in 2019. Recently, the USMNT has lost three of their last five games – and now, heading into two major tournaments in 2024, that criticism has resurfaced.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT BERHALTER SAID
When asked about the dubbed "lack of progress" the USMNT has made by a fan, Berhalter responded by countering with an opposite take, sharing the accolades that they have obtained during his tenure.
“It’s about patience,” he said. “We’re achieving things. We’ve won two Nations Leagues and have one left… We won a Gold Cup. We went to the second round of the World Cup. We got five points, two shutouts in the last World Cup, and there’s been a lot of progress. So it’s not just like, patience without progress. We’re making progress. The other thing I think people really forget is how young we were at the World Cup. I think it just gets ignored sometimes.”
The USMNT boss, did however, relay that he understands why critics target him and why his name is so often in the headlines – even when he's not related to the subject.
“The national team job is such an easy target,” he said. “I mean, that’s the thing about it — there’s one national team coach, right? It’s easy to target that person or that program, so it’s part of the job. I always say that there’s no pressure that can be added from the outside that we don’t already put on ourselves. That’s the entire team — players, coaches, everyone.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The USMNT boss, per the World Football ELO Rating System, has struggled against top sides in matches while in control of the USMNT. Per that metric, Berhalter has not beaten a top-25 ranked world soccer side since taking over in 2019, and in 14 matches against European or South American opposition, they've only claimed victory three times: against Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland.
Despite the ELO report, the USSF trusts that Berhalter is the man to lead the USMNT into the 2024 Copa America – and eventually, the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BERHALTER AND THE USMNT?
The semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League take center-stage this March, with the USMNT taking on Jamaica for a berth in the finals. The USA are looking to win their third-straight Nations League title. After, Berhalter's side will prepare for the Copa America 2024 with a blockbuster friendly against Colombia.
