With Gregg Berhalter now out of contract following the U.S. men’s national team’s run to the World Cup’s round of 16, assistant Anthony Hudson will take charge for the two friendlies scheduled at the end of January, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday. A squad largely comprised of MLS players will take on Serbia (Jan 25) and Colombia (Jan 28) in Los Angeles.
Hudson, 41, managed New Zealand’s national team and the Colorado Rapids before taking over the U.S. U-20 side in early 2020. He then joined Berhalter’s staff and was a USMNT assistant in Qatar.
While those are the relatively small details, the big picture has become chaotic. Berhalter’s long-term status remains unknown. U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart hasn’t discussed the federation’s intentions, and Berhalter was non-committal following the Dec. 3 defeat to the Netherlands in the round of 16. He said, “I’ve just been only focused on the World Cup—only focused on achieving things with this group. The next couple of weeks, I’ll clear my head. I’ll sit down and think about what’s next.”
U.S. Soccer customarily conducts a review of each program following a major event like the World Cup. It said Wednesday that those reviews typically begin in the summer, well in advance of any year-end contract expiration. “The unique November-December timing of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar significantly reduced the amount of time that the Federation would have to conduct a proper assessment,” it added. There was no need to rush a decision before a pair of inconsequential friendlies.
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But the peace and quiet each side seemed to be seeking as they assessed their options and preferences has been annihilated by Tuesday’s revelation that Berhalter is under investigation by the federation for a domestic violence incident that occurred with his now-wife, Rosalind, when they were college freshmen. Berhalter, 49, and U.S. Soccer hinted in separate statements Tuesday that third parties were involved in plotting against him/them. Berhalter, who wrote that he had sought counseling and then reconciled with Rosalind after kicking her during an argument, claimed someone was sharing that information with the federation in order to “leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with U.S. Soccer.”
The federation revealed that it “learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization.”
Reports on Wednesday identified the Reynas as a source of those accusations. Claudio and Danielle Reyna are massive figures in American soccer and in the Berhalters’ lives. Claudio, a former U.S. captain and National Soccer Hall of Fame midfielder, is now the sporting director at Austin FC. He and Berhalter were high school teammates in New Jersey. Danielle played for the U.S. women’s national team in 1993 and was Rosalind’s close friend, roommate and teammate at the University of North Carolina. Together, Claudio and Danielle are the parents of Gio Reyna, the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who’s arguably the most skillful and exciting member of the young USMNT cohort.
The relationship between the Berhalters and the Reynas appeared to begin unraveling in Qatar, where Gio Reyna played only 52 minutes across two games. In comments at a post-World Cup leadership conference that he thought were off the record, according to the USSF, Berhalter discussed the difficulties the team faced when dealing with a player whose effort and attitude were unacceptable. “We were ready to book a plane ticket home. That’s how extreme it was,” he said.
Suspicion quickly turned toward Reyna, who acknowledged that he was the player in question in a Dec. 12 social media post. He claimed Berhalter informed him prior to the World Cup that his role would be “limited.” Reyna admitted to strong emotions and a few days of poor behavior, but said that everything eventually was worked out with his coaches and teammates behind closed doors. That claim is buttressed by the fact that Reyna played the second half in the 3–1 loss to the Dutch.
Reyna, added, however, that “it is my belief that things that happen in a team setting ought to remain private.”
His parents appear to concur. According to ESPN, Claudio and Danielle Reyna contacted a U.S. Soccer executive on Dec. 11, the day Berhalter’s remarks at the conference went public, and informed them about the 1991 incident. It’s unclear how or if that call relates to the federation’s reference to “potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff.”
The Reynas sent “multiple messages” to the USSF, ESPN reported. Later, both Claudio and Danielle sent statements to ESPN. Danielle said she reported the 1991 incident to Stewart after reading Berhalter’s comments and said, “I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age.” She added, “I want to be very clear that I did not ask for Gregg to be fired, I did not make any threats, and I don’t know anything about any blackmail attempts.”
Claudio Reyna said, “I support my wife, Danielle, and her statement. I too was upset by Gregg’s comments about Gio after the U.S. was out of the World Cup, and I also appealed to Earnie Stewart on December 11 asking him to prevent any additional comments. While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son’s World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie and [USMNT GM] Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so.”
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Stewart, USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone and CEO JT Batson are scheduled to speak with the media later Wednesday.
Meanwhile, while that drama unfolds, Hudson will select and train players for the national team’s traditional January camp. He’ll be joined by U.S. assistant BJ Callaghan and U-20 coach Mikey Varas. The USSF hasn’t announced when that roster will be unveiled or when camp will begin. The Serbia game will be played at Los Angeles FC’s Banc of California Stadium while the Colombia match will take place at the LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park.
The Americans’ first competitive games of 2023 come in March with the conclusion of the Concacaf Nations League group stage, which doubles as the qualifiers for this summer’s Gold Cup. The U.S. will play at Grenada at March 24 and host El Salvador three days later.
