US head coach Gregg Berhalter insists he’s the right person for the job despite Copa América exit
The US lost 1-0 to Uruguay in its final group game – meaning it finished third in Group C, out of the two qualifying places for the knockout stages.
The poor performance piled yet more pressure on Berhalter, with critics questioning whether he’s still the right person to lead the team heading into the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the US.
Shortly after the defeat, United States Soccer Federation’s sporting director Matt Crocker said the team’s performances “fell short of our expectations” and insisted that “we must do better.”
“We will be conducting a comprehensive review of our performance in Copa América and how best to improve the team and results as we look towards the 2026 World Cup,” Crocker said in a statement.
When asked by reporters after the game whether he was still the right person for the job, Berhalter replied: “Yes.”
“I’m not happy with the results of the tournament, that’s for sure. First and foremost, the expectations that we have are to do better than we did,” Berhalter said.
“We are bitterly disappointed with it. The other stuff, that is out of my control, it’s not something to spend a lot of time with.”
There had already been questions around the US men’s team heading into this year’s Copa América – which is being hosted in the United States.
Despite boasting an array of young talent in the squad, there were concerns around whether the team could be competitive at the highest levels of the game.
The tournament got off to a good start with a comfortable victory against Bolivia, but soon turned sour after a shock defeat to Panama.
The result piled pressure on the final group game against an impressive Uruguay side and the US was found wanting in a lacklustre performance.
“Just to see the guys’ faces in the locker room and to see the emotion of the staff and players, we’re bitterly disappointed with the results,” Berhalter said. “We know that we’re capable of more, and in this tournament, we didn’t show it. It’s really as simple as that.
“You look at the stage that was set with the fans in this tournament, with the high level of competition in this tournament, and we should have done better. We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now, for sure.”
Controversial goal
Uruguay looked the better side throughout the match and found the decisive goal in the 66th minute through Mathías Olivera.
The defender reacted first to Matt Turner’s save from Ronald Araújo’s header, bundling the ball over the line on the rebound.
The goal was allowed to stand after a lengthy check from the video assistant referee (VAR), despite Olivera initially appearing to be in an offside position.
The narrow call was questioned by US players and staff on the field and Berhalter addressed the controversy in his post-match press conference.
“It’s pretty crazy. I don’t understand it,” he said.
Berhalter returned as head coach of the men’s team in 2023 and was handed a contract which runs through the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
The 50-year-old was previously named head coach of the team in 2018 and led the squad to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last year, but his contract expired at the conclusion of the tournament.
The US men's football team ended their Copa America participation with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Uruguay, which highlighted their struggle to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Berhalter, despite the controversy over the controversial goal, remains committed to improving the team for the 2026 World Cup, which the US will co-host.
