Matt Crocker, who fired USMNT coach Greg Berhalter, now faces tough search

But Crocker, a Welshman who came to the USSF with extensive experience in English football, ran the candidates through a series of managerial, statistical and psychological tests before deciding that no changes were necessary.

Over the past year, Berhalter continued his regional success but struggled to take the U.S. team to the next level, as was clearly demonstrated with a first-round exit at this summer’s Copa America.

The music stopped at Berhalter’s second dance on Wednesday when Crocker announced it had fired him with two years left on his contract.

“It’s been a tough week,” Crocker told some reporters on a video call. “Personally, I know it has been a difficult week for everyone associated with US Soccer. This is a really difficult decision.”

But an inevitable one. Although he wanted this arrangement to work, Crocker was not going to get much from the team with Berhalter in charge. The young U.S. team has made great strides in Berhalter’s first tenure, recovering from an unsuccessful 2018 World Cup cycle and advancing to the knockout stage of the 2022 tournament.

Using the Copa America as a barometer of global progress didn’t do the Americans any favors.

The responsibility now falls to Crocker to find a suitable replacement. This time he cannot miss the target. There is a lot at stake. The next World Cup – to be held primarily in American stadiums as well as some Mexican and Canadian venues – is less than two years away. It may seem like a long time, but with no competition close to the level of the Copa America, a new coach will need to establish his beliefs and establish his tactics in regional tournaments and friendly matches.

How will this search be different from last year?

“I’ve been in this program for 12 months,” Crocker said. “Now I’ve been in a lot more environments on both the men’s side and the women’s side, mainly because we’ve made some significant changes to both of those programs over the last 12 months. “I’m much clearer and more confident in what I see… I think we need to move forward.”

Crocker said, “I feel like I’m in a better place now to do a more targeted search, where I’m willing to work hard and go in early with specific candidates that I feel meet our criteria. Are.” “Looking for it.”

Looks like Crocker has got it right in the women’s favor. Following the team’s historically early exit from the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, coach Vlatko Andonovski has stepped down.

Crocker later hired Emma Hayes, who was highly regarded at Chelsea FC and highly respected in global circles. Hayes’ appointment was seen by many as a coup for the American program, even though it required him to wait six months this summer as he completed his Chelsea stint.

The U.S. women have a new energy and excitement heading into the Olympics, although expectations have been tempered by both coaches and newcomers finding their footing. In the bigger picture, Hayes’ goal is the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

USSF made Hayes the highest-paid women’s coach in the world, putting her on financial level with Berhalter. Will such equity efforts limit what Crocker can offer men’s coaches?

“My job is to find the best head coach to lead this program forward,” he said. “I know it’s a really competitive market salary-wise and I have to be competitive to get to the level of coach I believe can take the program forward. I’m also really conscious of the need to continue to campaign for higher standards and equality. But I don’t think it’s going to be a hindrance in terms of our investment.”

Crocker believes the men’s program will benefit from a new approach. The program is filled with prospects in the form of youth players employed by European clubs competing in the top leagues. The 2026 World Cup is coming when many of those players should be at their best.

Crocker will need to appoint someone who will tinker with the tactics and personnel who, while theoretically aggressive, have scored five goals in the last five games. They will need to appoint someone who will thoroughly analyze the talent pool and perhaps turn to players who have been overlooked.

So where will Crocker turn? Even before Berhalter’s announcement, they had begun exploring replacements, though no names were shared Wednesday. Fans’ online chatter about former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp appears to be fanciful. MLS coaches are deep into the season. European club coaches are opening training camps. Some coaches may be looking for work at the European Championships and Copa America.

Coaches deeply entrenched in club football – which involves match preparation and round-the-clock roster making – are like chefs in a disorganized kitchen. International work is going on at a slow pace.

Crocker must find the right chef.

“I just want to get the best coach that can help the team win, and whether they’re from America or somewhere else, they have to fit that profile, which is a consistent winning coach, someone who wants to develop. This potential group of players that can continue, someone that has a lot of interest and passion for player development,” Crocker said. “It’s still a young group … but it’s also a group that has a lot of talent now. That’s within the range of appropriate experiences that we should have outside the group. That would be my intention.”