For the USA, the test match against Germany is part of a very long preparation for the home World Cup in 2026. The team stands for highly gifted players, but also for quarrels surrounding Gregg Berhalter.
Gregg Berhalter is the man tasked with giving the USA a great home World Cup in 2026. The fact that this is the case could certainly be described as a big surprise. Because there were a few moments over the past ten months that led to a tendency that the 50-year-old would no longer experience the tournament as a US coach. And in between he actually wasn’t that anymore.
After the round of 16 exit at the World Cup in Qatar last winter, Berhalter initially asked for time to think about his future and left it open whether he wanted to remain in office. He had been the coach of the “US Boys” since 2018, but his decision to continue was overshadowed by a private dispute that became an internal team problem. That’s why Berhalter is something of a controversial figure in a team that is in the middle of several years of preparation for the World Cup in its own country as well as in Mexico and Canada.
Reyna family vs. Berhalter
The parents of national player Giovanni Reyna had accused Berhalter of trivializing an act of violence against his wife Rosalind. The US coach is said to have kicked her in the legs after an argument in the 1990s. Although Berhalter admitted the incident and emphasized that he regretted the incident – Danielle Reyna, Giovanni Reyna’s mother, claimed that the statements would “significantly minimize” the abuse at the time. It was said that Danielle Reyna wanted revenge on Berhalter because he hardly gave her son any playing time at the World Cup.
Investigations against Berhalter followed, and his contract, which only ran until the end of 2022, initially expired, but after the interim solutions of Anthony Hudson and BJ Callaghan there was a new contract. Berhalter has the vision, “to take the program to new heights in 2026“said athletic director Matt Crocker. And he has “as well as the experience and growth mindset on and off the field to take this team forward.” Crocker is “convinced that Gregg is the right person for the job“.
The US is now looking forward and the issue also seems to have been resolved for Berhalter, as Reyna is also part of the squad for the international match on Saturday (October 14th, 2023, at 9 p.m. live in the audio stream on sportschau.de) against Germany. In any case, the team had rallied behind its coach. “Everything that happened with Gregg was handled in an extremely childish manner. I think we’ve all seen what’s going on. It’s childish“said Christian Pulisic and campaigned for Berhalter to become a coach again.
Berhalter has been raising his “boys” for years
The words arrived and, in addition to the results of the investigations, ensured that Berhalter was again (or still) the man who should lead the team to the home World Cup. And from a purely sporting perspective, this is a more than understandable decision. Because Berhalter has an extremely talented squad that has already caused a sensation in Qatar and is expected to do even more in his own country – and who can do it too.
Pulisic, Yunus Musah (both AC Milan), Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah (both Juventus Turin), Reyna and Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco) are players who are only 25 years old or significantly younger, but have been at the top level for some time act. Based on their names, Germany will meet many professionals who they are likely to meet again in 2026, but they will mature into even better players by then.
If the “US Boys” develop the way the association imagines, Berhalter and his players could even surpass the previous best World Cup result from 2002 (quarter-finals). At least that’s the hope.
The basic framework is in place – and Reyna is part of it
While for Julian Nagelsmann it is about getting the DFB team into shape and mood for the European Championships for next year in the very short term, for the USA it is a long-term project. Their advantage is the continuity, which doesn’t exist in the German team – changing coaches, constantly changing players. The USA has a basic structure that, despite its youth, has been there for a long time and is already set for the 2026 World Cup.
And yes, Reyna is also one of them. “Gio has exactly the same opportunities as any of his colleagues. His job is to help the team with his quality. He is still part of it and will be nominated like everyone else if he is fit and in shape“, Berhalter told “Sport Bild”. There should be no more disruptive factors on the way to the home tournament.