US Soccer Coach Gregg Berhalter Under Fire After Performance in Copa América

United States head coach Gregg Berhalter yells from the sideline during the second half of an international friendly soccer match against Uzbekistan in St. Louis on Sept. 9, 2023. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

U.S. men’s National Team Coach Gregg Berhalter faces an uncertain future after a disastrous performance in the 2024 Copa América.

The United States was eliminated in the group stage for the first time after losing to Uruguay 1–0 on Monday. The United States finished the Copa América with a win against Bolivia and two losses, including a setback to CONCACAF rival Panama when the Americans were forced to play with 10 men.

Berhalter has been criticized for his tactics and seemingly not preparing his players for critical matches. Now, pundits and fans are calling for a change as Berhalter has been under fire since the United States was outclassed and eliminated by the Netherlands in the knock-out round of the 2022 World Cup.

“Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement following the latest defeat. “We must do better. We will be conducting a comprehensive review of our performance in Copa América and how best to improve the team and results as we look towards the 2026 World Cup.”

The statement was not a ringing endorsement for Berhalter, who is 43–17 as the head coach. However, the United States has not earned a key victory outside CONCACAF.

The United States is being viewed as underachieving because the team has a roster of players competing in Europe’s top leagues, including Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Juventus), and Tyler Adams (Bournemouth).

This lack of progress has been the biggest complaint with Berhalter.

“What we have learned over these cycles is that this team is not able to do anything better than what it has done in the past,” soccer analyst Alexi Lalas said. “That hurts to say because that was not what was promised for what many believed what was going to happen with this team. If this is as good as it gets, it’s not good enough. There are plenty of excuses, but they don’t matter.

“We can’t afford to be embarrassed, and we can’t afford to arrive in the summer of 2026 with a team that has not progressed, that has not evolved, and has not improved.”

The problems for Berhalter started long before the 2024 Copa América. His contract expired after the 2022 World Cup and the United States conducted a 14-month, international search to find his successor.

However, U.S. Soccer decided to rehire Berhalter in June 2023, claiming no one was more equipped to prepare the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I am confident that Gregg is the right person for the job and looking forward to working in partnership with him,” Crocker said in a statement after the hire.

Berhalter has been under scrutiny ever since and losses have compounded the criticism among the media and fans. Berhalter is confident the team can play better than it did in the Copa América, but his time could be running out.

“We’re bitterly disappointed in the results,” Berhalter said at a press conference following the loss to Uruguay. “We know that we’re capable of more and at this tournament, we didn’t show it. It’s as simple as that.”

When asked whether he was the best coach to lead the Americans into the 2026 World Cup, Berhalter replied with a simple “Yes.”

The rest of the country is not so confident.

During the latest loss to Uruguay, fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City were chanting “Fire Gregg.”

Social media has exploded with criticism, calling for a change in leadership. Some fans are clamoring for former Liverpool Coach Jürgen Klopp to take the reins.

Despite the widespread criticism surrounding Berhalter, the U.S. players did take responsibility for their performance in the Copa América. It was an especially disappointing performance considering the United States was the host country. It was further embarrassing that Canada was able to advance with an American coach, Jesse Marsch, who many had hoped would have been hired by the United States.

Instead, there is uncertainty surrounding the U.S. team as it prepares for a group of friendlies in the fall. The United States automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup as one of the host countries with Canada and Mexico.

The United States does not want a repeat performance of the 2024 Copa América on the game’s biggest stage.

The players are determined to get better.

The question is who will be their coach?

“I think we need to do better among ourselves,” goalkeeper Matt Turner said after the loss to Uruguay. “We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We have to have that baseline of intensity that we showed in this game in every game and every minute. Because in tournament-style play, every decision, every call, every shot that you miss, every shot that you save, every shot that you don’t block, everything is magnified tenfold.”