The United States accomplished their minimum ask at the 2022 World Cup, but many fans were left wanting more after they were bested by the Netherlands 3-1 in the Round of 16.
The defeat left the U.S. with five defeats in six Round of 16 matches all-time at the FIFA World Cup. They remain with just one victory in the knockout stages, defeating Mexico in 2002.
In Qatar, the United States had the second-youngest squad in the entire field, with a view towards building for the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will host alongside Mexico and Canada. Still, a positive performance was desired in 2022, and now the debate begins about how to evaluate the tournament on a whole.
With that come questions of Berhalter’s status as USMNT head coach. Berhalter has brought plenty of positive qualities to his role as head coach, but also displayed clear deficiencies. Will U.S. Soccer make a change and start over before the 2026 tournament, or will they give Berhalter a vote of confidence and back him to bring this squad into the massive upcoming cycle?
MORE: Who is USA head coach Gregg Berhalter? All you need to know about the USMNT boss
Will USA fire head coach Gregg Berhalter?
With the USMNT now out of the 2022 World Cup, the United States head coach will now take time to assess his future, and so will the U.S. Soccer federation.
Reviews will be conducted and reflections will be made as both sides contemplate how they wish to move forward.
Some national team federations, such as Belgium and Netherlands, will make changes immediately after the World Cup concludes, but U.S. fans will need to wait for a decision on their head man moving forward. Berhalter confirmed after the Round of 16 defeat that he’ll take “a couple of weeks” to determine his next course of action.
Berhalter on his future, doesn’t say one way or the other if he wants to continue with USMNT: “In the next couple of weeks, I’ll sit down and clear my head and think about what’s next.”
— Sam Borden (@SamBorden) December 3, 2022
MORE: What could the USMNT roster look like at the 2026 World Cup? Here’s a way too early projection
Gregg Berhalter contract, salary with USA
In 2018, Berhalter signed a four-year contract that runs through the end of the 2022 World Cup, a relatively normal time-frame for national team coaching contracts that often span one full World Cup cycle before requiring a review and extension, if earned.
Reports citing U.S. Soccer tax filings from 2021 suggest that Berhalter’s annual salary was just under $1.3 million per year, making him the highest-paid U.S. Soccer employee at the time.
Following the World Cup, U.S. Soccer will evaluate his performance and decide whether to re-sign him as head coach for another World Cup cycle, or go in another direction. A comprehensive review of the USMNT’s performance in Qatar will almost surely play a decisive role in that call.
Should USA fire Gregg Berhalter?
After falling in the Round of 16, there’s an argument to be made for moving on from Gregg Berhalter, but there are also many reasons to keep him as head man.
Here’s an argument for and against making a head coaching change. Whichever side U.S. Soccer lands on, they must get the decision ahead of arguably the most important World Cup in the nation’s history four years from now.
The argument to retain Gregg Berhalter
In four years, Gregg Berhalter has completely transformed the U.S. national team player pool from both a talent and tactical perspective. Berhalter took a nation happy to play the plucky underdog role and transformed them to a side that not only believes they can consistently win against big nations, but has the ability to do so.
The most significant contribution from Berhalter to the national team comes off the field. Berhalter’s player recruitment was nearly unbeatable, securing the commitment of multiple talented, young dual-nationals like Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson, and Sergino Dest who are now essential components of the squad. Still others like Gabriel Slonina, Ricardo Pepi, and Malik Tillman project to be important players through the next four years and beyond. In 2022, player recruitment matters a great deal, and Berhalter is exceptional in that regard.
The 49-year-old has also been successful at the top of CONCACAF football. He engineered one of the greatest stretches of results against rivals Mexico in U.S. soccer history, becoming the first coach to beat Mexico three times in a calendar year. He won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League, the 2021 Gold Cup with a largely B-team squad, and managed to get key results amidst a very difficult CONCACAF qualifying scene.
Berhalter also did quite well tactically at the 2022 World Cup. He garnered open praise from all four opposition managers who the U.S. matched up against, with his game planning and tactical approach with his trademark high press consistently throwing the opponent off guard.
Finally, Berhalter has cultivated a strong locker room culture and retained a core of players who have developed into top-level international players with a strong off-field bond. There have been some slips, including the discontent around Gio Reyna during the World Cup, but overall Berhalter has maintained a positive relationship within the dressing room.
The current U.S. head coach sports a number of positive traits, and making a change would sacrifice significant advantages on multiple fronts.
The argument to fire Gregg Berhalter
While Berhalter has shown clear positives, there are also some glaring weaknesses that have failed to show improvement during his time in charge.
First and foremost, Berhalter has been heavily criticized for his player selection and lineup choices, some without merit but some bearing significant evidence. Most notably, Berhalter’s decisions at the striker position at the World Cup proved costly to their chances at advancing past the Round of 16. All three strikers struggled to prove influential in front of goal, and while Josh Sargent and Haji Wright both had decent moments, neither really threatened the opposition net, and Jesus Ferreira fell flat on his opportunity against the Netherlands.
Additionally, Berhalter’s second-half approach to matches has been extremely concerning. The U.S. has proven far better under Berhalter in the first half, but seems to consistently lapse in concentration and threat as the match wears on. Often, Berhalter’s teams have been left under siege as they cling to life with time winding down. His substitutions have missed the mark, and he fails to recognize tactical adjustments by opposition head coaches and make his own tweaks.
This was on display in the World Cup as Berhalter was consistently out-coached in the second half of matches, with Wales, Iran, and the Netherlands all developing mid-game tactical changes that Berhalter failed to recognize, leaving the U.S. exposed. After the Round of 16 defeat, Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal specifically pointed out that the U.S. didn’t adapt to their plan of attack which focused on exploiting wide areas with wing-backs Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind.
USMNT under Berhalter often doesn’t have a contingency plan. Subs are mostly man for man unless they’re in a desperate situation. https://t.co/iPfRdutTu6
— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) December 3, 2022
National team head coaches rarely last more than one four-year cycle historically, unless they achieve massive success, as federations often feel that a new voice is needed. Four years is an eternity in coaching, across any sport. If U.S. Soccer feels these weaknesses are unlikely to improve, and another individual could do better in these moments, they could think about making a change.
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