U.S. Soccer Coach Gregg Berhalter Fired: A Complete Timeline on the Coach’s Tenure as USMNT Leader

After becoming the first host nation to be eliminated from the Copa America during the tournament’s group stages, the… The U.S. Soccer Federation has fired Gregg Berhalter as manager. Berhalter was hired in 2018 and has overseen 74 games as USA manager with a record of 44-13-17. Having won the Gold Cup and winning the Nations League twice, Berhalter has achieved a lot with the United States, but after crashing out of the Copa America it was clear that change was needed with the World Cup on home soil in two year.

Let’s take a look back at Berhalter’s time with the USMNT:

December 2018: Gregg Berhalter hired as USMNT manager

Once missing the 2018 World Cup was official under manager Bruce Arena, a decision was made on who would lead the USMNT back to the World Cup as Berhalter was determined to be the man he left with the Columbus Crew. Berhalter was previously an assistant with the Los Angeles Galaxy and also coached abroad with Hammarby. When he was hired, his biggest achievement was reaching the MLS Cup with the Crew, but Berhalter had not won a trophy despite turning the Crew into a consistent playoff team. When Berhalter was hired, his brother Jay Berhalter was the Chief Commercial Officer for US Soccer.

July 2019-Aug. 2021: USMNT’s winning summer

After the disappointment of missing the 2018 World Cup in Russia had settled, it was time to restore confidence in the national team and Berhalter was quickly given the opportunity to do so. Defeating Mexico in both the Gold Cup and Nations League finals, it was a moment that not only marked the USMNT as being back, but also saw them rise above Mexico in Concacaf’s rankings of the best sides .

March 30, 2022: Qualified for the 2022 World Cup

Of a 2-0 win over Costa Rica, the USMNT avoided missing consecutive World Cups because Berhalter did what was expected of him. Berhalter stabilized the team and led the USMNT to a third-place finish in World Cup qualifying. By assembling a consistent

December 3, 2022: USA eliminated from World Cup

After struggling to reach the knockout stages and eventually achieving victory over a top 20 FIFA nation in Iran, the United States ran out of steam against the Netherlands. After two goals in the first half, the USMNT never had a chance to get into the match, but this was when the cracks started to show. Despite advancing to the round of 16, the United States lacked attacking prowess and failed to show they could beat a top country in the world. At the end of the tournament, Berhalter’s contract also expired.

January 2023: US Soccer announces investigation

After player Gio Reyna’s family was not happy with the lack of play time for their son During the World Cup, US Soccer was made aware of an event from Berhalter’s past. In 1991, Berhatler kicked his current wife Rosalind while they were dating, he admitted. US Soccer announced an investigation into the incident, amid many changes happening around the team. Anthony Hudson and then BJ Callahan took over as interim coaches and Matt Crocker also came in as US Soccer’s sporting director as a new era began.

August 2023: Berhalter returned

The investigation revealed that the domestic violence incident was an isolated matter, paving the way for Berhlater returns as manager. He mended his relationship with Gio Reyna and would oversee the USMNT during the 2026 World Cup.

March 24, 2024: Wins Nations League

By defeating Mexico again, the USMNT achieved their 10th victory in a championship final. Reyna was named player of that tournament where the team overcame adversity due to a red card to Sergino Dest. It was a moment that felt like a turning point for the USMNT as they were able to take care of business in regulation and win the tournament for the third time in a row.

July 2024: Eliminated from Copa America

All the Nations League goodwill disappeared after falling to Uruguay in the Copa America. Red cards were again a problem a push from Tim Weah saw the USMNT fall to 10th while losing to Panama, but there were plenty of moments where they didn’t show enough fight and crashed out during the group stages of the tournament.

July 2024: Berhalter fired

As the pressure mounted following the Copa America elimination, it was identified that a change was needed in the manager. Berhaltter has restored stability to the USMNT, but he has not shown that he can be the manager who can lead the team to the next level. With the 2026 World Cup looming on home soil, US Soccer no longer has time for a 10-month search before announcing a manager.

Important dates in the future

• September 7, 2024: Friendly match against Canada
• September 10, 2024: Friendly match against New Zealand
• October 12, 2024: Friendly match against Panama
• November 11-19, 2024: Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals
• March 20, 2025: Concacaf Nations League semi-finals
• March 23, 2025: Concacaf Nations League Final
• June 11 – July 19, 2026: World Championship in the United States, Canada and Mexico