United States men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter has been facing hefty backlash after he described his team’s 2-0 loss to Canada as “dominant.” The drama has reached such a high echelon that soccer fans have now been gifted with a Stephen A. Smith USMNT rant.
On a call with the equally polarizing Taylor Twellman, Stephen A. gave one of his classic rants about the man in charge of the USMNT.
Stephen A. Smith USMNT Rant
WOW.
Never thought I’d see the day Stephen A Smith is dragging Gregg Berhalter on national tvStephen A Smith is a living legend. We need more public pressure on how our national team is ran
: @itsgabecalling pic.twitter.com/SFqiKpz7Xe
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) February 1, 2022
Full Rant with Taylor Twellman
Stephen A. admits right out the gate that his soccer knowledge is limited. He still manages to make an excellent point, why is Berhalter patting his players on the back for losing?
Berhalter could have avoided the mountains of drama if he said in the press conference that the game was a disappointment, and they need to improve against Honduras.
Former USMNT Herculez Gomez wasn’t having any of the "dominance" nonsense and said that Berhalter has made the team soft. Despite having the best talent the U.S. has ever seen, Gomez argues that the man in charge has had a negative impact on the team.
Herculez Gomez Says Berhalter Has Made USMNT “Soft”
Is the USMNT heading in the right direction under Gregg Berhalter?@SebiSalazarFUT and @herculezg discuss pic.twitter.com/2ZMwAJKs9U
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 1, 2022
The so-so performance against El Salvador paired with the humbling defeat in Canada has caused some serious metaphorical bleeding for Berhalter’s team. The best option now is a metaphorical tourniquet in the form of a resounding result against bottom-of-the-table Honduras.
If the USMNT fails to get a result at home against Honduras on Wednesday night, then the World Cup qualifying situation gets very, very frightening. The final stretch of March qualifying for Berhalter will be a game at Estadio Azteca, at home against Panama who he already lost to and then a trip to Costa Rica where the USMNT rarely gets points.
For Berhalter’s sake, I worry what Gomez, Twellman and Stephen A. will have to say after a failed result to Honduras.
