Gregg Berhalter has been fired as coach of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team after a disappointing performance in the Copa America tournament. The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the decision on Wednesday following the team’s early exit from the tournament held on U.S. soil.
“We are now focused on working with our Sporting Director Matt Crocker and leveraging his experience at the highest levels of the sport to ensure we find the right person to lead the USMNT into a new era of on-field success,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement announcing Berhalter’s departure.
The U.S. opened last month’s Copa America play with a steady 2-0 win against Bolivia in the tournament featuring teams from South America, Central America, North America, and the Caribbean.
The U.S. team was projected by many pundits as one of the two teams expected to advance from the opening round in Group C. However, a 2-1 loss to Panama on June 27 significantly diminished the team’s chances of progressing. The game was marred by a Tim Weah red card after he threw a punch at a Panamanian player. The infraction left the U.S. team down a man only 18 minutes into the game. José Fajardo scored in the 83rd minute to secure the game for Panama.
The U.S. was then eliminated from the tournament after a 1-0 loss on July 1 to perennial South American powerhouse Uruguay, a 15-time Copa America champion.
The federation had been in deep contemplation about Berhalter’s future with the team before the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
