Gregg Berhalter finally fired after USMNT failure at Copa America

Gregg Berhalter is no longer the head coach of the USMNT, according to Doug McIntyre of Fox Soccer.

Realistically, Berhalter should have never been hired while holding a 38 percent win rate with the Columbus Crew in MLS. The United State Soccer Federation signed him up anyways in 2018 and then rehired him after a mediocre showing in the 2022 World Cup. They fired him on Wednesday, a week after failing to get out of the group at Copa America.

Fan anger grew exponentially after losses to Uruguay and Panama knocked the US out of the tournament, which was held on home soil. Every major American soccer fan group released statements in support of firing Berhalter, including the American Outlaws.

Still, the USSF delayed an immediate decision with USMNT players appearing to back the head coach. Many questioned whether U.S. Soccer technical director Matt Crocker even wanted to make a change.

US Soccer is on the clock after firing Gregg Berhalter

With Berhalter out, the search for the next head coach of the USMNT begins. It'll be the most important hire in the history of US Soccer with the World Cup on American soil coming up in two years. The next coach will be expected to not only get out of the group, as Berhalter barely managed, but to put on a show that highlights the potential of the United States as a soccer nation.

The dream name is Jurgen Klopp, who stepped away from Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 Premier League season. Klopp won the league title and the Champions League with the Reds but expressed feeling burned out as his reason for departing. If US Soccer convinced him to take his first post in international soccer, it would be universally celebrated. It's just a highly unlikely outcome.

There are other big name coaches out there from the European ranks including Mauricio Pochettino, formerly of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel, formerly of Bayern Munich, and Zinadine Zidane, formerly of Real Madrid.

Another name mentioned often is closer to home. LAFC's Steve Cherundolo played for US Soccer and has found immediate success in the MLS.

Sticking with the MLS, Wilfried Nancy is at the top of many lists to replace Berhalter if the French coach has an eye for coaching internationally.

For US Soccer, it always seems to be a question of ambition. Berhalter was a comfortable hire with connections in the USSF. Klopp or any of the other big European names would demand more money and control than any US coach has been given to this point.

The first step was firing Berhalter, now Crocker and company get to show the country just how much they care about winning at the highest levels.