U.S. Soccer coach fired after ‘Copa’ desaster: Who will follow Gregg Berhalter?

Gregg Berhalter was dismissed as the USMNT coach on Wednesday. With a home World Cup less than two years away, U.S. Soccer must now find his replacement.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell, the search has begun and will be “much more targeted” than previous searches, as stated by sporting director Matt Crocker on Wednesday. Crocker will lead the search and emphasized, “I’ll be more inclined to go hard and go early with specific candidates that I feel meet the criteria that we’re looking for.”

During a 15-minute Zoom call with reporters, Crocker also mentioned he would consider “a really wide pool of candidates.” When asked if he preferred domestic or foreign coaches, he responded, “I just want to get the best coach possible.”

There is no set spending cap on the USMNT search, and contrary to some speculation, there are no limitations related to equal pay. Sponsors or donors could potentially contribute to attract a high-profile candidate, similar to how Apple and Adidas lured Lionel Messi or how Canadian MLS owners secured Jesse Marsch.

The prominent names under consideration include:

Jürgen Klopp — Klopp, who recently retired, has been a dream candidate for weeks, perhaps months. If he is interested and affordable, he should be the top choice. However, to bring him back so soon, U.S. Soccer would likely need to offer significantly more than it has ever paid anyone. Berhalter earned $1.6 million per year, while Klopp made $20 million annually at Liverpool.

Zinedine Zidane — Zidane has been idle since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 and is available. The question is whether he would be interested in coaching the U.S. or any country outside his native France. He reportedly declined an approach from U.S. Soccer in early 2023.

Mauricio Pochettino — Pochettino is also available, having been dismissed by Chelsea in May after just one season. Unlike Zidane and Klopp, he may not be a guaranteed success.

Thomas Tuchel — Tuchel, who recently left Bayern Munich, is a highly respected tactician who could provide a timely contrast to Berhalter. However, he may not be a cultural fit and had a troubled relationship with U.S. captain Christian Pulisic at Chelsea.

Other potential candidates include Thierry Henry (France Olympic team), Joachim Löw (free agent), Hervé Renard (France women’s team), Steve Cherundolo (LAFC), and Wilfried Nancy (Columbus Crew).