“Having played for the National Team I know what it means to represent our country. I believe in our players and our program, and together we will work to build something special and develop a team that will make our supporters proud.”
As far as opening remarks go, this was bold, brave and ballsy from now-ex US Men’s National Team (USMNT) head coach Gregg Berhalter, addressing the US media in December 2018. He talked the talk, and my goodness was that talk needed as he took over a side which had failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. Unfortunately for Coach Berhalter and the millions of American soccer fans, actions speak louder than words.
The 2010s was a weird decade for USMNT. While their female counterparts dominated, winning two World Cup finals and falling at the final hurdle in another, the men’s team flattered to deceive.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup saw them top a group with England undefeated, before losing to Ghana in the Round of 16 in extra time, with Bob Bradley at the helm. Fast forward to 2014 and Jürgen Klinsmann took them to the last 16 again, finishing second in a group with Portugal and Germany. They were felled this time by a quote-unquote Golden Generation from Belgium. The Europeans won this battle, but it was goalkeeper Tim Howard who stole the headlines that day.
[Photo credit: THEMBA HADEBE / AP]
The Belgium defeat was heart-breaking, but the pride of the nation was at an all time high. Klinsmann was popular and taking the nation in the right direction. The building blocks were in place to go even further in Russia four years later. Just one problem: the United States of America failed to qualify for Russia 2018.
The 2015 Gold Cup didn’t go to plan as USMNT finished fourth, its worst result since the turn of the century. The World Cup first round qualifiers went to plan, with the lower-ranked Caribbean and Central American sides taken down with ease. Losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the next stage proved to be a final straw, and Klinsmann was axed. Bruce Arena came in to steady the ship, but he couldn’t save the campaign and they missed the finals for the first time since 1986.
Gregg Berhalter came in and here we are, back at the beginning. Lots of talk, lots of promise. Unfortunately for Team USA, this story does not have a happy ending. He got them over the line in World Cup qualification, but only goal difference saved them from having to travel to Qatar via a playoff. They finished second in the group in Qatar, undefeated but uninspiring, before a young Dutch side dispatched them with ease.
Due to America co-hosting the finals in 2026 (alongside Canada and Mexico), they do not have to go through a qualification process. Because of this, this years Copa América had even more importance to it. A chance to rub shoulders with the big South American nations, an opportunity to really see what progress, if any, the team had made. The answer, regrettably for Coach Berhalter, is very little.
Expectations were higher than normal due to the United States hosting this years edition. Few expected them to triumph at the end, but it was imperative that they went deep. They beat Bolivia, as expected, but a shock 2-1 defeat to Panama meant that they had to better Panama’s result in the final group match. Panama cruised past Bolivia to win 3-1, while Uruguay, already qualified, beat their hosts by a goal to nil.
Those in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium were stunned. This wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to reach the knockouts, they were supposed to make this years 4th of July one to remember. As the boos rung out in Kansas City, Coach Berhalter must have seen the writing on the wall. Sure enough, a few days later and he was out on his ass. There are some talented players on their roster, but for the time being they are rudderless. Berhalter had his moments in charge of the men’s national team, but building something special? Developing a team that would make the nation proud? Alas, these were promises unfulfilled.
Now I am not American. My wife is, but she is as far from a sports fan as you can get. I love the World Cup and always appreciate the support that USA fans have. Their 2014 campaign in particular sticks out in the memory, with fan parks in San Francisco, Chicago and New York going ballistic when John Brooks scored the winner against Ghana down in Brazil. Watching a couple games a year every four years may be enough to piece together the facts, but I needed an expert to help me not just look back, but to really think forward.
Step forward, Roberto Rojas, a Paraguayan-American Associate Editor at ESPN, to help piece together the real deal with USMNT.
Heart of Football: At the risk of asking a rather obvious question, what is the mood in America right now, regarding their men’s national team?
Roberto Rojas: I think there’s a sense of disappointment and rightly so after the failure of the Copa América, so I think while we do feel bad about how the team’s performance has been, I think the firing of Gregg Berhalter will allow us to look deep into who we really want to fix our problems and try to help us be competitive before the World Cup.
What has the media coverage been like? With the NFL and NBA in the off-season and the Olympics a while away yet, has this taken more heat than you expected?
Yes absolutely, I think we have this feeling of wanting to do better and like any sports fan, nobody wants to see the United States do poorly in any tournament even if it’s not our strongest sport. But after this and seeing Berhalter fired, it just accelerated the heat.
It’s been a very up and down, the last ten years for USMNT. A great 2014 World Cup, failure to qualify for 2018 and a decent 2022. Why do you think they have struggled to find consistency?
Coaching for one. Switching from Klinsmann to Arena to Berhalter has made us not respect too much of a process but I guess the player pool kinda dried up for a bit. During that time we didn’t qualify but now we have allowed ourselves to hopefully improve as best as we can, which we showed at the World Cup even if we reached the bare minimum.
Do you think that the influx of foreign players to MLS has been good for the national team?
It’s a mix and a huge debate. While we would allow our best players abroad, I also want to see our league develop with its own talent but understanding the circumstances, it’s difficult to really view ourselves as a top league where we produce talent and have them play there. The influx of foreigners helps international growth but I’m not sure it’s like that from a homegrown perspective.
America is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. Do you feel this will help or hinder the team? Home advantage versus added pressure?
Like any other host, there will always be pressure but I would assume it helps them in the long term to not just motivate the players, but the coach and fans as well. It’s all about finding the right balance and getting the results necessary against the big teams, which we haven’t seen under Berhalter.
Since Coach Berharter’s firing, who do you want to see take over?
I would love Jürgen Klopp but it seems like a pipe dream these days. I think Hervé Renard would be a more realistic choice. Someone who understands international football, can make countries competitive but also provide some discipline which I think this current USMNT side needs.
Are you optimistic for the future of the USMNT?
I think we have a ton of great talent and it’s good to see growing more and better every year but if you ask me if I see this team winning a World Cup in the next 10-20 years? Probably not. But it’s all about the results they can get on the big stage that will matter and allow me to feel optimistic. Until then, I haven’t seen anything that makes them feel as they can be competitive. So, I’m cautiously saying yes.
Have things been good enough? No. Can things get better? Of course. Qatar and their sham-hosting of the World Cup had many failings, one of which being their elimination from the tournament early. South Africa 2010 was also a poorer competition for losing a host at the group stage. I sincerely hope that the USMNT gets a proper coach in place who can get the most from this crop of players, take World Cup 2026 by the scruff of the neck and give their fans something to be proud of.
Right now the USMNT are coachless. I love Roberto’s pick of Hervé Renard and I truly believe he would be an excellent appointment, but only time will tell. A huge thank you to Roberto for his time and his thoughtful answers. You can follow him on Twitter/X at @RobertoRojas97
Heart of Football 
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