Gregg Berhalter’s time is up as coach

Gregg Berhalter has broken the US Men’s National Team (USMNT). If there was any doubt before, it should all be gone now. Following the 2-1 loss to Panama in the Copa America, it’s clear that Berhalter’s time is up as coach of the national team.

A crowd of 59,145 was on hand Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to watch a disaster unfold. In a game where almost everything went wrong, it leaves the United States’ chances of reaching the Copa America quarterfinal in peril.

An action-packed 90 minutes

The US had a goal disallowed early and then had Tim Weah sent off for punching a Panamanian player in the back of the head. But they took the lead after a fabulous strike from Falorin Balogun. That’s when the wheels fell off.

Panama retaliated minutes later and tied the game. Then at halftime, Berhalter made three changes. Most notable was the switch from Matt Turner in goal to Ethan Horvath, with the former having been clobbered by a Panamanian attacker.

A back-and-forth second half ensued, which eventually saw Panama score the winner with less than ten minutes to play. At the last gasp, the US had a chance to tie after Panama had one of their players sent off for a foul on Christian Pulisic. But it was too little too late and Panama achieved a famous win.

Putting Berhalter’s team into perspective

US Soccer has been touting itself as the king of CONCACAF because of its success in the Nations League. But upon closer examination, that notion is detached from reality.

Not only did the USMNT fail to win last summer’s Gold Cup, they didn’t even make it to the final. They fell to Panama in the semi-final on penalty kicks. Panama has turned into a nightmare opponent for the US. In the last four meetings between the teams, Panama has won three of them.

It’s worth noting that before Berhalter’s appointment, the US had lost to Panama just once (in the 2011 Gold Cup). Panama beat the US in Panama City…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/copa-america/berhalters-time-is-up-as-usa-coach/

Author : Lawrence Dockery

Publish date : 2024-06-28 11:10:33

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