The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced this Friday the return of Gregg Berhalter as coach of the Stars and Stripes team on the way to the 2026 World Cup, which this country will organize with Mexico and Canada.
Matt Crocker, USSF Athletic Director, He said in a statement that Berhalter is “the right person for this job.”
“When I started this search, I was focused on finding someone with the right vision to take this program to new heights in 2026. Gregg has that vision as well as the experience and attitude to grow on and off the field to move this team forward,” Crocker added.
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berhalter, what he will return to the bench after several months of soap opera about the present and future of the United States national team, he thanked the USSF for trusting him again and said that his goal is to make the fans and his country feel “proud” of this team.
The imminent return of Berhalter was revealed on Thursday by The Athletic portal while the United States thrashed Mexico 3-0 in the semifinals of the Concacaf Nations League.
Two interim technicians
In these last months while the Federation decided who would be the next selector, Anthony Hudson took over the US bench on an interim basis until a couple of weeks ago, when he left for Al-Markhiya SC in Qatar.
Thus, the US team now has a new interim coach, BJ Callaghan, who will also be the team’s beacon during the Gold Cup to be played this summer.
Two titles and qualification for Qatar 2022
As United States coach from 2018 to 2022, Berhalter won both the Gold Cup and the first edition of the Concacaf Nations League in 2021. In both finals he defeated Mexico.
Berhalter also qualified a very young US team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they fell in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, but the coach also found himself at the center of a strange scandal.
He admitted violence against his now wife
The USSF reported on January 3 that it had an investigation underway since in December they learned of an alleged incident of sexist violence perpetrated by Berhalter.
The coach, whose contract expired after Qatar 2022, published a statement that day in which admitted that in 1991 he had a heated argument with his then girlfriend and now wife Rosalindwhich he ended up giving “a kick in the legs”.
“There are no excuses for my actions that night. It was an embarrassing moment that I still regret,” Berhalter said.
Reyna’s mother revealed the case
In that same statement, Berhalter maintained that it was during the Qatar tournament when a person spoke to the USSF claiming that they “had information” about him that “would end” his career in the national team.
A day later the identity of that person was known: Danielle Reyna, mother of Borussia Dortmund player Gio Reynawife of former player and former captain of the national team Claudio Reyna and who has known the Berhalter couple for decades.
Confrontation with Gio Reyna during the World Cup
Gio Reyna and Berhalter had a highly commented confrontation during the World Cup since, according to the player’s testimony in an Instagram message, the coach assured him before the tournament that he would have a “very limited” role
The young and talented footballer responded with disdain and minimal effort in training, so much so that after the World Cup he apologized to his teammates and the coaching staff.
Reyna’s father intervenes
during the tournamentClaudio Reyna made clear his frustration about his son’s situation in the national team and he informed the sports director of the federation, Earnie Stewart, and the general manager of the men’s team, Brian McBride (both are already out of the organization chart).
But what raised the level of the Reyna offensive against the coach were the statements that he made on December 11 Berhalter, who assured that he was about to send a player home during the World Cup for his lack of commitment.
Berhalter did not mention Gio Reyna but it was evident that he was referring to him, so much so that Danielle Reyna decided to take action on the matter and that day she told Stewart over the phone what had happened in 1991.
From family friends and groomsmen to conflict
“I found it especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his minutes on the pitch, was still being dragged into the mire when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for something far worse than he did at his own age.” Danielle Reyna said in a statement.
To curl the curl, Danielle Reyna was a roommate and very close friend of Rosalind Berhalter in 1991 while Claudio Reyna, Gregg Berhalter’s teammate on the US team at the 2002 World Cup, was the best man at the Berhalters’ wedding.
