After missing the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the United States Men’s National Team needed a reset. That dreadful October 2017 night in which USMNT fell to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 marked a much-needed call to turn the tide. The change came when the USMNT hired Gregg Berhalter as coach to lead the charge of a group of players, deemed by American soccer media, the golden age for U.S. soccer.
That was seven years ago.
This era cannot be wasted.
In the eyes of CONCACAF competition, it’s been a time of triumph for the USMNT. Since missing the 2018 World Cup, it has excelled in its region.
When the United States sends its best roster into camps, it owns North America. It won a Gold Cup in 2021 and the first three editions of the CONCACAF Nations League from 2021-2024. It also qualified and advanced out of the group stage at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The team is undefeated in every competitive match with their neighbors to the south, Mexico, in this decade (5 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie.)
The USMNT is the king of CONCACAF, but there is still more to be done with this wave of talent.
Some notable international results include a 3-1 loss against the Netherlands and a 0-0 draw against England in the Qatar World Cup Round of 16 and group stages, respectively; a 2-0 loss to Japan and two scoreless draws against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in preparation for that same World Cup; and most recently, a 5-1 loss to Colombia on June 8 that outraged fans.
That outrage has since been directed at Berhalter, who has been in hot water on and off the pitch. The off-the-field story broke from the domino effects of the Qatar World Cup, involving his own family and the family of star midfielder Gio Reyna, stemming from lack of playing time which then turned into a retaliation method from Reyna’s family.
Sources reported the allegations that resurfaced from the Reyna family were accusations of Berhalter assaulting his wife in 1992, over 30 years ago.
The allegations caused the United States Soccer Federation to not extend Berhalter, starting a new coaching search which ended with Berhalter ultimately being rehired.
The USMNT wasted tons of time with the search all just to hire the same guy. Was that even the right decision, given Berhalter’s reputation among supporters?
That question could be answered during the Copa America.
The tournament signifies more cracks at competitive matches against top FIFA nations and a broad assessment of this federation's talent and coaching.
How long is Berhalter's leash if the U.S. flames out early? Nobody knows, but for the fans, his leash is not long given this massive opportunity in 2026.
Who will you be seeing in this Copa America tournament that proves the United States cannot only succeed in this tournament, but a chance at the Jules Rimet?
If there was only one positive from the 5-1 loss to Colombia, it was the starting XI for the U.S. all play in the top domestic leagues in Europe. The U.S., a nation that has leaned on MLS for what has seemed like an eternity, made lots of noise this past club season.
In his first season in Serie A, now 25-year-old Christian Pulisic is still the crown jewel of this squad. With AC Milan this season, Pulisic started 32 of his 36 Serie A appearances and tallied 12 goals in Serie A.
Yunus Musah, a New York native whose family left the United States shortly after his birth decided to play for the United States instead of England in 2021. Musah joined Pulisic at AC Milan this season and appeared in 40 matches with the club.
Also in Italy, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah combined for 73 appearances with Juventus, in a season in which the club hoisted the Italian Cup.
More European names include Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson as a left back tandem for Fulham and Chris Richards of Crystal Palace of the Premier League. Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Sergiño Dest, who will miss Copa America because of injury, all had quality seasons at PSV Eindhoven. Pepi seeks revenge in the manner of good form, as he was the most notable snub of the Qatar World Cup.
And to top it all off, a slew of strikers will challenge for that No. 9 spot bridging Pulisic and Weah in the attacking third.
Those include Monaco’s Folarin Balogun, another dual national who made the same decision as Musah, joining the United States just before the 2023 Nations League. Balogun owns eight goals in Ligue 1 and all the potential in the world to be the next superstar goal scorer for the United States.
Josh Sargent of Norwich City has 33 goals — including 16 this past season — in 100 career appearances for the club. The O’Fallon, Missouri, native has been a highlighted prospect around the senior roster, as he is the youngest American to score at the Under-20 World Cup.
Finally, Coventry’s Haji Wright brings an NFL tight end-caliber frame to the team and has scored in both a knockout round match in the World Cup (2022, vs. The Netherlands) and a FA Cup Semifinal (2023/24 vs. Manchester United). In 2023-24, Wright appeared in 50 games and netted 19 goals for Coventry, who were so close to promotion to the Premier League.
That said, it all comes back to Berhalter’s tactics, lineups and substitutions. If things go well, he will have this nation ready to reach for the stars come 2026. If things don’t go well, will USMNT sporting director Matt Crocker cut the cord on Berhalter?
With the world watching this extraordinary summer of soccer with the European Championships going on simultaneously, we’ll know right away if the United States is ready to compete for the World Cup title in June 2026.
The U.S. will play its group stage games against Uruguay, Bolivia and Panama. If the team were to advance, it would most likely match up with the two teams it faced in the pre-Copa America friendlies, Colombia and Brazil, which ended in a 1-1 draw June 12.
Last time out in this very tournament in 2016, the United States placed fourth after a semi-final loss to Argentina and a 3rd-place game loss to Colombia.
