USMNT: The consensus on Gregg Berhalter

Two weeks since Gregg Berhalter’s hiring as USMNT manager, what have important figures in the U.S. Soccer community concluded about the Columbus man?

It has been two weeks since U.S. Soccer let its not-so-secret secret out. Gregg Berhalter was introduced by the USSF on Sunday morning, December 2, in Manhattan as the new head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Since everyone knew this announcement was coming, prominent figures in U.S. Soccer already had their ammunition locked and loaded for when the former Columbus Crew SC man was unveiled to the world. So what did they have to say?

Let’s start with the positives. Considering that Berhalter is known for his intentional relationships with his players, it’s unsurprising that his players were quick to praise the 45-year old. Justin Meram highlights this strength of Berhalter’s in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/JustinMeram/status/1069264309526519808

Meram played under Berhalter for five years and it is clear how much the former boss means to one of Columbus’ best players over the last five years.

Crew and USMNT midfielder Wil Trapp echoed Meram’s sentiment in another tweet.

https://twitter.com/wil_trapp/status/1069711508219674624

What’s the word he used there? Proud? If you asked Alexi Lalas or Michael Parkhurst, the inclusion of that buzzword would be especially meaningful. Some in USMNT have called for a manager who could reinstill a sense of pride and show the new young core what it “means” to put on the shirt.

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It’s unsurprising, however, that Berhalter, a former USMNT player, passes the pride test with flying colors, although the cynic in me says that most players would say good things about a manager who decided to play them.

Still, Berhalter could be seen as instrumental in both of these players’ rises, so a certain amount of credit is still due to Berhalter for that fact alone, if you’re willing to disregard their praise.

Foot-fairies get enough of the spotlight already though, right? Let’s take a look at some of the cynical pessimists in the big bad media. After all, for every Will Trapp, there’s a Grant Wahl. Speaking of the latter, Grant Wahl wrote a whole article on why Berhalter’s hiring has left a sour taste in people’s mouths. He summarizes his argument in this tweet.

(For the record I love Grant Wahl.)

I think Wahl gets at what most people feel. He’s showing how it’s almost like the USMNT ended up with an okay manager in spite of USSF. In other words, Wahl is airing his frustrations with the USSF, not Berhalter himself.

Still, others fall into another camp, one that does, in fact, have a problem with the man hired. Alexi Lalas highlights his frustrations in the following tweet. (I feel like twitter should sponsor me at this point.)

Lalas offers a brutally honest take. It’s easy to be mad at the USSF for a lot of things, but perhaps some are using the process as a scapegoat in order to preserve a sense of positivity when it comes to Berhalter.

If Tata Martino was announced as the USMNT manager after MLS Cup, fewer people would be upset about the length of the process and lack of interviews. In fact, some of the same people would probably highlight how it made sense for Martino to be fully invested in his squad through the end of the season. Surely, if someone like Julen Lopetegui was announced as the coach, even fewer would be claiming that the federation is never able to get anything done, highlighting that many are perhaps unwilling to admit their real gripe with the decision itself. Simply put, if the decision was the best one, the time taken to make it is well worth it.

Ultimately, however, this sense of dissatisfaction could ultimately be a good thing, even if the USMNT community can’t come to a consensus on why it should be frustrated. The soccer community must have high standards for the USSF and its decisions.

Is it disappointing that this process took over a year? Yes. Definitely. Is it frustrating that the search ended with a safe MLS choice in Berhalter? Perhaps. It depends on who you ask.

But at the end of this prolonged journey through the limbo of 2018, though, I’m glad that the USMNT fans are demanding. What’s more, I’m glad that, in Berhalter, they have someone who just might be able to deliver a higher standard of football on the pitch despite the federation’s unwillingness to change off of it.

With the Gold Cup coming this summer, a lot of the questions on how this young group will mesh and compete under their new manager will be answered. We’ll just have to wait and see. But at least there is no more waiting for a coach. That, for now, is certain.