This is kind of a surprise, don’t you think?
After a disappointing World Cup for the United States Men’s National team that was followed by the bizarre Gio Reyna family controversy which was an awful look for the Reynas, it felt like head coach Gregg Berhalter wouldn’t be coming back.
But: No. After the USMNT beat Mexico 3-0 on Thursday night, news broke that Berhalter would be brought back to coach the men’s national soccer team.
Although there are some who think that’s the right call, I saw a bunch of fans and experts questioning the move. Here’s a roundup from Twitter:
Fans are very mad
"I'm confused… If you go back with Berhalter then we've wasted a lot of time. Why have we wasted this much time to go back with who we had in the beginning?"@Clint_dempsey reacts to the reports of Gregg Berhalter returning as manager of the #USMNT. pic.twitter.com/22Y6yTQBdS
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) June 16, 2023
It's not that Gregg Berhalter is a bad coach. He's an A to B coach. But he's not a good game-day coach and he refuses to make personnel adjustments when the #USMNT is crying for it. And you want to be moving FORWARD, not backward.
— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) June 16, 2023
I don’t know what’s funnier: spending 13 months trying to find a national team manager only to wind up with Gregg Berhalter, or letting Berhalter walk, spending six months trying to find a national team manager, only to wind up with Berhalter again.
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) June 16, 2023
Gregg Berhalter returning to the US National Team is everything that’s wrong with the US National Team
— Zealand (@theoldzealand) June 16, 2023
How do you interview Jesse Marsch, Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera then turn around and rehire Gregg Berhalter?
US Soccer is not a serious Federation #USMNT
— USMNTKID🇺🇸 (@baystatekid2003) June 16, 2023
I'm so happy we thrashed Mexico and the players deserve all our love but man US Soccer did us so dirty, not just by re-hiring Berhalter, but also the nefarious way they did it, just like last time.
There was no coaching search, just a sham.
— 11 Yanks (@11Yanks) June 16, 2023
It's sad. This team has a decent starting XI that can play well even with a PE sub teacher coaching from the sidelines.
And this federation wants to waste this generation with Berhalter… again.
— SuperiorUSMNT (@EinSchwarzwelt) June 16, 2023
What’s really funny is that this team looks better under BJ than it ever has under Berhalter! 😂
Moronic federation.
— Gregg Beerholder 🍺 (@MLShater) June 16, 2023
LOL what kind of garbage is this. There's no kind of real search which ends w/ Berhalter being the top choice AGAIN. https://t.co/LavutVtSr1
— lilly (@LillyAnnFraizer) June 16, 2023
Whatever your reaction to the news, if Berhalter is coming back, seems hard to avoid the conclusion that a lot of time was wasted
— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) June 16, 2023
Berhalter & #USMNT’s “progress” is missing out on World Cup qualifying in 2018 by one point, and then qualifying in 2022 on goal differential only.
Sorry, that’s not enough progress for me. https://t.co/JVELHhfh3d
— U.S. Soccer Reform (@reformussoccer) June 15, 2023
So the USMNT fires Gregg Berhalter due to philosophical differences and a somewhat toxic environment, hires a search firm to find his replacement… and then re-hires him 6 months later?
What the https://t.co/ynAA7350Oy
— JaguarGator9 (@JaguarGator9NFL) June 16, 2023