Gregg Berhalter Leads USMNT Eager for World Cup Redemption
If Gregg Berhalter’s first major soccer project had been to lead the expansion of the American national team, this summer’s World Cup would have been his fourth time.
His first was with the Galaxy, his second was with the Galaxy and the LA Rams, and the third was with the Galaxy and the LA Kings. Berhalter, who has taken over the U.S.; team’s head coaching duties at the World Cup as well, has more than proven himself.
As a head coach, he has led two MLS teams to their first-ever playoffs, and the Galaxy to a U.S. Open Cup title. And as a national team manager, he was part of the team that won an Olympic gold medal and the World Cup in 2010.
So it would have been very easy for the MLS head man to let the spotlight turn away from the big moments when the spotlight is turned to soccer. He’s done the opposite. He’s elevated the U.S. to new heights, and as he enters his second year as the senior U.S. manager, it has been plain to see.
Berhalter was in the U.S. locker room on Monday with a handful of the players and talked with them about what he has learned since taking over the team. He spoke to the group about their confidence, their attitude and their desire to win the World Cup.
“We had a very strong season last year and we were very confident with how we were going to play, and I think that a lot of these guys got to a point where they were telling me, ‘We’re going to win the championship. We’re going to be champions. We’re going to be super-confident,’” Berhalter said. “Last year was a very good season, I think all of us. It was a big confidence booster for us, and one that I think is very important for us.”
A Year In Pictures
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In this photo taken on Monday, July 20, Berhalter and the U.S. U-20 team are
