Gregg Berhalter's Confidence Remains Amid U.S. Team's Early Exit
U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter remains steadfast in his belief that he is the right person to lead the squad, despite a disappointing performance in the latest tournament. The U.S. team managed only one win, finishing third in Group C with three points, a position that ultimately led to their elimination.
Group C was dominated by Uruguay, who secured the top spot with a perfect nine points. Panama followed in second place with six points, sealing their advancement with a crucial 2-1 victory against the U.S. This defeat was particularly stinging for Berhalter, who reflected on the missed opportunity to secure a draw late in the match. "Obviously, the loss against Panama really hurt. I think when you talk about being, 80th minute, in a good position to get a draw and get something out of the game, we didn't get it," he commented.
Adding to the challenges, the U.S. faced a significant setback in that match when Timothy Weah received a red card in the 18th minute, complicating their efforts to overcome Panama's lead. Reflecting on the tactical aspects, Berhalter noted, "There's some issues there. I think in that game in particular, a low block defending, needed to improve in that moment."
Comprehensive Review Forthcoming
The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced that a comprehensive review will be conducted to assess the team's performance. Berhalter emphasized the importance of this analysis, stating, "We're going to do a review of the whole tournament and see where we fell short. The margins are so small and there's very little separating any of these teams, and you have to treat every game as the same."
Despite the early exit, Berhalter pointed to the commendable effort put forth by his players. "When you see the effort tonight that we put in, it's incredible. The guys did a great job. They worked extremely hard, put in a great effort against a really good team but that needs to be the standard every time we step onto the field," he said.
Berhalter, now in his fifth year as head coach, remains optimistic about the team's trajectory. Reflecting on the squad's capabilities, he highlighted the consistent defensive strength and opportunities created in games. "Defensively, we're a very good team. Most games, we have higher expected goals than the opponent. We create chances, we move the ball well. To me, the whole thing is, you want to keep moving the team forward and I feel like we have," he explained.
One factor Berhalter finds encouraging is the depth of the squad, which featured several players from the 2022 World Cup and included a small group of experienced players aged 30 and older. "You think about the depth of the squad, the number of players that have played in games, so there's certainly improvement and we need to keep going. In my opinion, it's not something you say, 'Okay, this program's doomed.' It's not the case at all. It was a poor performance, we didn't get the results we expected and we need to get better," he asserted.
As for his own future with the team, Berhalter remained pragmatic. When questioned about his continued role, he simply stated, "That's not up to me."
Overall, while the tournament's results were disappointing, Berhalter’s confidence in his team's potential and his own leadership abilities remains unshaken. The upcoming review by the U.S. Soccer Federation will be crucial in identifying areas for improvement as they aim to rebound and build towards future successes.