After months of searching for something new and fresh, the US men’s national team is sticking with the same face.
The USMNT is set to bring back Gregg Berhalter as its manager, The Athletic reported Thursday night, with negotiations reportedly being finalized imminently.
It’s a stunning decision given the nature of his exit, yet somehow is perhaps unsurprising at the same time.
The news occurred during the USMNT’s 3-0 win over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final under interim manager BJ Callaghan, ending a managerial search that had started to grow concerningly long.
Berhalter, 49, was in charge from 2019-22, leading the USMNT to 2021 Nations League and Gold Cup titles, through the last qualifying cycle and to the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup.
He also owns the highest winning percentage in the nation’s history with a 37-11-12 record.
But it appeared likely the US would move in a new direction after a saga-filled few months following the team’s World Cup exit to the Netherlands in the round of 16 as well as letting his contract expire on Dec. 31, 2022.
The controversy centered around Berhalter’s relationship with one of the team’s highest-acclaimed young stars, 20-year-old Gio Reyna, who surprisingly received minimal playing time at the World Cup despite being projected as a starter or major contributor.
While speaking at a leadership conference following the World Cup in what he claimed would be off the record, Berhalter alluded to a player he had to discipline and nearly sent home due to his behavior after being informed he would not be a starter for the opening game against Wales.
Although he did not name Reyna, it was easy to connect the dots.
Reyna, who recorded seven goals and two assists with German power Borussia Dortmund while playing a pivotal role in their second-place finish in the Bundesliga this year, responded to the comments in a statement he posted on social media as well, blasting Berhalter and claiming that he had apologized to the team and been told by Berhalter that the incident would stay in-house.
Reyna’s parents — former US national players Claudio and Danielle Reyna, — subsequently reported to the U.S. Soccer Federation an incident from 30 years prior in which Berhalter kicked his wife, Rosalind, during an argument when the two were freshmen at the University of North Carolina.
Danielle Reyna played with Rosalind Berhalter at North Carolina, while Berhalter and Claudio Reyna were teammates on the USMNT.
Berhalter claimed he was blackmailed over the incident, as Danielle Reyna was attempting to get him fired.
Danielle Reyna said she went to the federation with the information after hearing Berhalter’s comments about her son.
The US Soccer federation conducted an investigation and a report by a law firm determined he did not improperly withhold information about the 1992 incident, clearing the way for Berhalter to regain his position.
But beyond his battle with Reyna, many thought the USMNT might look to a manager that better suits its youthful roster filled with players largely playing at the highest levels across Europe.
It’s a roster that proved its stature on the world stage at the World Cup, and is capable of elevating into a more serious contender with an ambitious manager.
Former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, who is American, and former Crystal Palace manager and legendary Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, who is French, were linked as candidates for the job.
Instead, the USMNT is sticking with what’s most familiar and safest.
It means Berhalter and Reyna simply must mend their personal animosity and figure out a path forward.
Reyna was a regular starter or major contributor under Callaghan and the USMNT’s previous interim Anthony Hudson during recent friendlies and Thursday night’s over Mexico, and is paramount to the team’s aspirations.
It might not be a new path, but it’s finally a path forward.
