On Wednesday night, the U.S. men’s national team and its interim coaching staff kicked off the 2026 World Cup cycle in administrative limbo. On Thursday morning, they awoke in Los Angeles to what U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) president Cindy Parlow Cone called “a clean canvas.”
Already without a full-time manager for the foreseeable future thanks to the review and investigation into Gregg Berhalter’s on-field performance and off-field conduct, the USSF now finds itself without a sporting director and a men’s general manager.
On Thursday, the federation announced the resignation of sporting director Earnie Stewart, the former U.S. midfielder who’s returning to his native Netherlands next month to become the director of football at PSV Eindhoven. Stewart is the USSF’s chief soccer officer overseeing the appointment of men’s, women’s and youth coaches and team staff. The USSF also confirmed the previously reported departure of men’s GM Brian McBride, who worked on developing the program’s relationships with its players and their clubs.
