Matt Crocker, who fired USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, now faces a difficult search

But Crocker, a Welshman who came to the USSF with extensive experience in English football, put the candidates through a series of tests. Managerial, Statistical and Psychological Testing No changes were necessary before the decision was made.

Last year, Berhalter continued his on-field success but struggled to take the U.S. team to the next level, as clearly demonstrated by a first-round exit at this summer’s Copa America.

The music stopped during Berhalter’s second dance on Wednesday when Crocker announced he had fired Berhalter with two years remaining on his contract.

“It’s been a tough week,” Crocker told reporters on a video call. “Personally, I know it’s been a tough week for everybody involved with US Soccer. It’s a really tough decision.”

But it was inevitable. Crocker wanted to see the arrangement succeed, but he wasn’t going to get much from the team under Berhalter. The young U.S. team had made great strides in Berhalter’s first tenure, recovering from an unsuccessful 2018 World Cup cycle and reaching the knockout stage of the 2022 tournament.

If we consider Copa America as a measure of global progress, the situation of the Americans was no better.

Now the onus is on Crocker to find a suitable replacement. This time, he can’t miss the mark. There’s too much at stake. The next World Cup — to be held primarily in American stadiums, with some Mexican and Canadian venues — is less than two years away. That 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 hone his tactics in regional tournaments and friendly matches.

How will this discovery be different from last year’s discovery?

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

“I feel like I’m in a better position now to do a more targeted search where I’ll work harder and move quickly with specific candidates who I think meet the criteria we’re looking for,” Crocker said.

Crocker appears to have made the right decision for the women’s team. Coach Vlatko Andonovski stepped down after the team’s historic early exit from the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Crocker later hired Emma Hayes, who is highly respected at Chelsea FC and highly regarded in global circles. Hayes’ hiring was seen by many as a coup for the U.S. program, even if it meant she had to wait six months after completing her Chelsea tenure this summer.

There is new energy and enthusiasm among the U.S. women entering the Olympics, though expectations have been tempered as a coach and new players come in. In the bigger picture, Hayes’ goal is the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

The USSF made Hayes the highest-paid female coach in the world, putting her on par financially with Berhalter. Will such equity efforts limit what Crocker can offer male coaches?

“My job is to find the best head coach to move this program forward,” he said. “I know it’s a very competitive market in terms of salaries, and we have to be competitive to get the level of coach that I think can move the program forward. I’m also very conscious that [the] We need to continue to strive for high standards and equality. But I don’t think that’s going to be a hindrance in terms of our investments.”

Crocker believes the men’s program will benefit from the new approach. The program is full of potential in the form of young players who are employed by European clubs competing in top leagues. The 2026 World Cup will come at a time when many of these players will be at their peak.

Croker will need to hire someone who will tinker with tactics and personnel, who is theoretically aggressive, having scored five goals in the last five games. He will need to hire someone who analyzes the talent pool in depth and perhaps turns to players who have been overlooked.

So where will Croker go? He had already begun exploring options before Berhalter’s announcement, though no names were shared on Wednesday. Online fan chatter about former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp seems hypothetical. MLS coaches are fully engaged in the season. European club coaches are opening training camps. Some of the European Championship and Copa America coaches may be looking for work.

Coaches deeply involved in club soccer — which includes match preparation and roster construction — are like cooks in a chaotic kitchen. International work boils at a slower pace.

Crocker will need to find the right chef.

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