NEW YORK — Gregg Berhalter was fired 10 months into his second stint as head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team, leaving the Americans searching for a new leader less than two years before they co-host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
Berhalter was dismissed Wednesday, nine days after his team’s exit from the Copa America after a 1-2 showing in group play flamed doubts about whether he was the right choice to remain in charge.
“The Copa America result is extremely disappointing and I take full responsibility for our performance,” Berhalter said in a released statement. “Our approach and process was always focused on the 2026 World Cup and I remain confident that this group will be one of the great stories in 2026.”
The Copa America is CONMEBOL’s championship event for South America, but the 16-team field includes guest teams from outside the region, including the United States, where this year’s event is being played. The 2024 tournament will wrap up Sunday night when Argentina faces Colombia for the championship in Miami Gardens, Florida.
After opening the Copa America with a 2-0 win over Bolivia, the U.S. lost 2-1 to Panama while playing most of the match a man short due to winger Tim Weah’s ejection, then was eliminated with a 2-1 loss to Uruguay. The U.S. had seven wins, six losses and one draw in Berhalter’s second stint, leaving his overall record as coach of the Americans at 44 wins, 17 losses and 13 draws.
When Berhalter returned to the bench last September, he proclaimed the team’s goal was “to change soccer in America forever.”
If that is to happen, it will be without him.
Matt Crocker, the sporting director for the United States Soccer Federation, rehired Berhalter and also will make the recommendation on his replacement.
“Our immediate focus is on finding a coach who can maximize our potential as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, and we have already begun our search process,” Crocker said in a released statement.
USSF spokesman Neil Buethe would not make Crocker available to answer questions from The Associated Press.
Cindy Parlow Cone, the USSF’s president, also issued a statement. She did not immediately respond to a text message seeking additional comment.
The next scheduled matches for the U.S. men are exhibitions against Canada and New Zealand in September.
Marcelo Bielsa, Thierry Henry, Jürgen Klopp and Patrick Vieira are among those being speculated about as candidates to replace Berhalter, along with Massimiliano Allegri, Steve Cherundolo, Jim Curtain, Jesse Marsch, Pellegrino Matarazzo, Hugo Pérez, Mauricio Pochettino and David Wagner.
The next coach’s salary could be a source of trouble. Berhalter earned $2,291,136 in 2022, including $900,000 in bonuses for the Americans qualifying for the World Cup and reaching the second round. A top-level men’s coach could put pressure on the USSF to increase the salary of newly hired women’s coach Emma Hayes.
Just 23 months remain before the World Cup comes to the United States for the second time and the Americans play their opener in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2026. The only competitive matches with the full player pool before then likely will be in the CONCACAF Nations League for 2024-25.
Berhalter, who turns 51 on Aug. 1, was the first American to coach the national team after playing for the U.S. at a World Cup. He was hired to coach the U.S. in December 2018 after stints leading professional clubs with Sweden’s Hammarby (2011-13) and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew (2013-18).
“I want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for entrusting me to lead this team for the past five years,” Berhalter said. “Representing our country is a tremendous honor and I am proud of the identity we have built on and off the field. It was very gratifying watching this team improve over the years and I remain grateful for the lifetime bonds created with our players, coaches, and staff members.”
He led the U.S. to titles in the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 and 2024, as well as in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a roster that did not have the country’s top players. Berhalter was strongly supported by his players, who said he fostered a culture that bound the group.
That support led to Crocker rehiring Berhalter 5 1/2 months after his initial contract expired amid an investigation of a decades-old domestic violence allegation that was brought to the USSF’s attention by the Reyna family, upset that Berhalter limited midfielder Gio Reyna’s playing time at the 2022 World Cup. A law firm retained by the USSF said there was no legal obstacle to bringing Berhalter back.
Berhalter’s detractors cited a lack of success against teams outside the region and struggles on the road against Central American rivals. The U.S. gained its region’s final automatic berth for the most recent World Cup on goal difference, and it had the second-youngest team at the tournament in Qatar. The U.S. wasted a second-half lead in a 1-1 draw with Wales, tied England 0-0 and defeated Iran 1-0 to reach the 16-team knockout stage in 2022, where the Americans played poorly in a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.
In addition, there were notable incidents when players exhibited a lack of discipline: defender Sergiño Dest got a red card last November at Trinidad and Tobago for arguing with a referee, and Weah was ejected from the recent Panama match for punching an opponent on the head.
“Gregg has earned the respect of everyone within our organization and has played a pivotal role in bringing together a young team and moving the program forward,” Crocker said in his statement.
U.S. coaches have not fared well in a second cycle.
Bruce Arena led the team to a quarterfinal appearance in the 2002 World Cup, its best performance since 1930, but the Americans failed to advance past the group stage in 2006.
Bob Bradley’s team reached the second round of the 2010 World Cup, earning him a four-year contract extension only for the USSF to fire Bradley 11 months later after the Americans wasted a two-goal lead and lost to Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
Jurgen Klinsmann replaced him and led the team to the second round of the 2014 World Cup, then was fired after opening the final round of 2018 qualifying with a 2-1 home loss to Mexico and a 4-0 defeat at Costa Rica. Arena returned again, and the U.S. lost at Trinidad and Tobago on the final day of qualifying, ending a run of seven straight World Cup appearances.
While the new coach inherits players such as Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic who have thrived with European clubs, Reyna and goalkeepers Ethan Horvath and Matt Turner have failed to gain playing time with first-tier teams.