United States men’s national head coach Gregg Berhalter was asked whether his job is on the line against Uruguay on Monday following the shocking 2-1 defeat to Panama. Berhalter somewhat avoided the question saying it’s not up to him.
Gregg Berhalter's response to if his job should be on the line
If the USMNT fail to get out of the Copa America group stage, on home soil, is Gregg Berhalter's job at risk?
"That's not for me to determine," says the manager himself.@CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/txOHmVHBB4
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 28, 2024
While Berhalter didn’t give a direct answer, fans and pundits believe Monday’s showdown against Uruguay should decide his head coaching fate.
The American has yet to record a “signature win” with the USMNT after six years in charge. His biggest highlights are draws against Brazil and England despite having arguably the most talented U.S. squad in history.
Since Berhalter rejoined as head coach last year he has a record of seven wins, a draw and five losses. The lowlights include yet another loss to Trinidad and Tobago, a 5-1 embarrassment vs. Colombia and now the Panama problem.
Berhalter’s job wasn’t easy against Panama after Tim Weah’s boneheaded red card in the 18th minute, but the expectation was to still to get a result. The head coach’s response to the loss rubbed some fans the wrong way as he attributed the defeat to the red card and referee.
"We talked beforehand about the tendencies of this referee. We knew what he's capable of and to be honest I think we played right into his hands."
USMNT's Gregg Berhalter comments about the ref and Tim Weah's red card vs Panama ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oIBewLSRAV— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2024
Berhalter has yet to secure a victory against a top 25 team in FIFA’s world rankings not named Mexico. Uruguay, ranked 14th, will need to be Berhalter’s first big win.
With the next two years being arguably the most important for men’s soccer in this country, U.S. Soccer need to have things figured out in time for the 2026 World Cup. If Berhalter fails to get this stacked squad out of the Copa América group, then it’s time to go.
The USMNT vs. Uruguay game is at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
