Berhalter defiant as U.S. Soccer to evaluation Copa América exit

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Gregg Berhalter stated he believed he was nonetheless the fitting man to steer america males’s nationwide soccer group, regardless of crashing out of the 2024 Copa América within the group stage on Monday with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium.

The defeat, mixed with Panama’s 3-1 victory over Bolivia in a simultaneous match in Orlando, Florida, left the People in third place within the group. Uruguay superior as Group C winners, and Panama, which defeated a 10-man USMNT on Thursday, moved onto the quarterfinals because the second qualifier out of the group.

U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker stated in an announcement after the sport {that a} evaluation could be carried out into the group’s exit.

Requested in his postgame information convention whether or not he was nonetheless the fitting individual to steer the U.S. group into the 2026 World Cup, Berhalter responded with a easy “sure.”

Nevertheless, he admitted that the performances had not been adequate.

“Simply to see the blokes’ faces within the locker room and to see the emotion of the employees and gamers, we’re bitterly upset with the outcomes,” he stated. “We all know we’re able to extra, and on this event, we did not present it. It is actually so simple as that.

“You have a look at the stage that was set with the followers on this event, with the excessive degree of competitors on this event, and we must always have completed higher. We’ll do a evaluation and determine what went mistaken and why it went mistaken, but it surely’s an empty feeling proper now, for certain.”

When requested if he ought to lead the evaluation of the event failure, Berhalter stated, “That is less than me.”

Crocker will lead the choice round whether or not to retain Berhalter.

“Our event efficiency fell wanting our expectations. We should do higher,” Crocker stated in an announcement following the loss. “We shall be conducting a complete evaluation of our efficiency in Copa América and the way greatest to enhance the group and outcomes as we glance in direction of the 2026 World Cup.”

Uruguay scored the winner within the 66th minute on a controversial objective from Mathías Olivera. Ronald Araújo headed on a free kick that was saved by Matt Turner, who began towards Uruguay after leaving Thursday’s match with a leg harm.

Olivera was the primary participant to the rebound and seemed to be in an offside place on the time of Araújo’s header. However after a protracted delay, referee Kevin Paolo Ortega pointed to the center of the sector to uphold the objective, a lot to the chagrin of the American gamers and a big portion of the gang.

Bolivia had equalized towards Panama moments prior, which briefly put america again into second place within the group within the dwell standings. Berhalter acquired phrase of the Bolivia equalizer on the bench moments earlier than Uruguay’s objective and tried to relay a message to gamers proper earlier than Uruguay’s free kick.

U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams stated, “We weren’t knocked out from this recreation at present,” referencing Thursday’s loss to Panama because the consequence that derailed the People’ event efforts.

“I do not wish to go right into a recreation nervous about different outcomes,” Adams stated. “The objective ought to be to win the sport. As quickly you begin enjoying for a tie and also you take up strain, they usually begin to possess totally different phases of the sport, then you definately’re f—ed towards a group like that. You do not wish to go into video games with the concept you must tie or get some extent.”

The USMNT had not beforehand been eradicated from the group stage of a World Cup, Copa América or Gold Cup that it hosted. The U.S. is now 2-4-3 towards Uruguay.

Berhalter was rehired in June 2023 and given a contract by way of the upcoming World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. However regardless of a lineup that included Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Adams, the U.S. did not even match its final Copa América look, when it misplaced to Argentina within the 2016 semifinals.

Through the second half Monday night time, the house crowd started chanting, “Hearth Gregg.”

Gamers largely supported Berhalter after the match.

“All of us have a comfortability with Gregg, and all of us perceive him; we have had him for a very long time,” McKennie stated. “He is progressed the group very removed from the place we began off 4 or 5 years in the past, and I feel the connection that we’ve with him is essential, and having a coach — gamers that may run by way of a brick wall for him, take heed to him.

“No matter occurs, occurs, however I feel if he is the coach, we’re all blissful.”

Adams stated not all the things that wants change is “simply from essentially above” and confused the need for gamers to raised deal with moments of strain.

“I completely think about him,” Adams stated of Berhalter. “I do not assume it is a coach’s job in numerous conditions. You recognize, we put a recreation plan in place; guys must observe the sport plan, in fact, however you are a footballer on the finish of the day. What number of instances have you ever performed the sport?

“You want to have the ability to discover options on the sector, as nicely. He is caught with us by way of numerous powerful moments; I feel we will persist with him, as nicely. I feel that is essential.”

The U.S. will subsequent play September friendlies towards Canada and New Zealand.

Yunus Musah began rather than the suspended Timothy Weah for the U.S., which shifted Giovanni Reyna right into a winger function. Weah was despatched off early within the loss to Panama on Thursday for violent conduct off the ball, and he was suspended an extra recreation by CONMEBOL for his actions.

Monday’s recreation at Arrowhead Stadium bought off to a chippy begin. A frenetic first half was interrupted by 14 whole fouls and two accidents that required substitutions.

Uruguay winger Maximiliano Araújo left the match on a stretcher within the twenty seventh minute after a heavy fall following a collision on Uruguay’s attacking nook kick. He was changed by Cristian Olivera.

Fourteen minutes later, U.S. ahead Folarin Balogun exited as a result of an harm after colliding with Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.

Berhalter introduced on attacking choices Josh Sargent and Malik Tillman late because the U.S. chased an equalizer, however the People completed with solely three photographs on objective and weren’t fast sufficient to get the ball off their ft contained in the 18.

Berhalter referenced anticipated objectives on a number of events on Monday to help his declare that the USMNT did sufficient at Copa América to create possibilities. Per Opta, the People created 0.58 anticipated objectives to Uruguay’s 1.4.

“I feel that, once more, while you’re in event soccer, there’s little or no that separates success from failure,” Berhalter stated. “And it is one motion. It is one choice from the referee and you may be in hassle.

“And for us, it is having that understanding. This understanding that each time we step on the sector, it has an affect. And I feel we’re getting there, however we’re not at all times there. And that is one thing that we are able to enhance.”

Data from The Related Press contributed to this report.