U.S. Head Coach Gregg Berhalter Stands Firm Amid Copa America Disappointment
In the wake of a lackluster performance at the recent Copa America, U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has firmly stated his belief that he remains the right man for the job. Despite the team's early exit, Berhalter emphasized his confidence in the squad's potential and defended his leadership.
The U.S. men's national team was eliminated from Copa America after managing just one win, finishing third in Group C with three points. The group was dominated by Uruguay, who topped the table with a perfect nine points, followed by Panama, who secured second place with six points after a crucial 2-1 victory over the U.S.
A Painful Defeat
The match against Panama proved pivotal for the U.S. team. Timothy Weah's red card in the 18th minute left the team in a vulnerable position. Reflecting on the match, Berhalter admitted, "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."
Analyzing the team's defensive strategy, Berhalter added, "When you look at that moment specifically, there's some issues there. I think in that game in particular, a low block defending, needed to improve in that moment."
Comprehensive Review Announced
The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced that a comprehensive review of the team's performance at the tournament will be conducted. Berhalter conveyed the necessity of this review, 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."
A Mixed Performance
Despite the exit, Berhalter praised his team's spirit and effort. "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.
He highlighted the team's defensive strengths and overall performance metrics as positive indicators. "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."
Focusing on Depth and Experience
Berhalter is now in his fifth year as head coach, and this tournament featured a significant cohort of players who competed in the 2022 World Cup. The squad also included three players aged 30 and older, providing a blend of experience and youth. Speaking on the depth of the team, Berhalter said, "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 light of the recent setbacks, Berhalter remains optimistic about the future. "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."
When asked about his future with the team, Berhalter pragmatically responded, "That's not up to me." Nonetheless, his conviction in his role as head coach remains unwavering. "Yes," he stated simply when asked if he is the right fit for the job.
As the U.S. Soccer Federation undertakes its review, the national team and its supporters will undoubtedly hope for insights and improvements to help steer the team towards future success on the international stage.