There are many problems with this country—let us just get that out of the way first. Anyone who has any semblance of sanity or self-awareness can see that. This, however, is a sports blog. We will not discuss politics unless it directly relates to sports…
With that being said, there is something inherently wrong with the direction of this country’s soccer progress. The United States Men’s National Team (herein denoted “USMNT”) recently became the first host country in the history of the Copa America (the western hemisphere’s most prestigious international soccer competition) to be eliminated in the group stage. After a 2-0 win against Bolivia, a 2-1 loss against Panama that seemed inevitable after an early red card resulting from Timothy Weah’s boneheaded decision to sucker-punch a Panamanian player in the head, followed by a 1-0 loss to current semi-finalists Uruguay saw the U.S. crash out unceremoniously.
Anyone that knows me knows how critical I have been of manager Gregg Berhalter. That has not changed. In his two tenures as USMNT gaffer (between which he was under investigation for a physical altercation with his now-wife from years ago), Berhalter has zero wins against nations outside of North and Central America that were ranked within the top 15 of the FIFA rankings. The only nations that the US has beaten under Gregg’s watch that have been competitive are Mexico and Canada, and the former has been in a major transition period in the past few seasons.
It was reported recently that a decision on Berhalter’s future will be made at some point this week. Obviously, I am hoping that that decision will be that he is fired. This is the same man that was canned by Swedish side Hammarby for not having enough of an attacking edge. Granted, I am not sure how attractive of a job opening this is. For all the players that the USMNT has playing in Europe’s top five leagues, the talent they exhibit on the pitch during international matches is mediocre at best. Anyone that thinks former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp would even consider this opening is likely deluding themselves. The country does not care enough about soccer to make it worth his while. We do not sell out home games, although part of the problem may be the exorbitant ticket and concession prices imposed by venues. The players do not display much heart–how does no one stand up for goalkeeper Matt Turner after a Panamanian player body-checked him? Not exhibiting a strong response would have been unthinkable ten years ago, but nowadays is representative of the soft, cowardly nature of today’s soccer climate in the United States. It is all about skill and finesse, and very little emphasis is placed on strength, resilience, and teamwork.
Rumors have also come out recently that, instead of the manager making decisions for the squad, it is a group of established players, such as Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, that are making these choices as part of a “leadership council”. I mean…what? How? What? Why? Now, this has not yet been substantiated, but should there be any truth to these rumors, it is an extremely poor look.
How can a sports team that is supposed to represent a country be led by a glorified marionette whose puppeteers are the players? How can players be expected to reach their ceilings if there is no pressure on them to perform? If a player is calling the shots, they obviously are extremely comfortable in their ability to maintain a spot on the roster.
The incompetence and entitlement begins at the top. Matt Crocker and the other bigwigs at the United States Soccer Federation need to feel a bit uneasy. They cannot sit idly by and allow the proverbial inmates to run the asylum, nor can they replace one moron with another. It is time to bring in a coach who will impose structure, discipline, and a mentality that no player supersedes the red, white, and blue crest that he wears on his shirt. The only decisions that players should be making is to whom they should be passing the ball.