Pochettino: Berhalter "Brought USMNT to a High Level"
Mauricio Pochettino has already made a huge impact since taking over the U.S. Men's National Team four months ago. Nonetheless, in a pre-match press conference today ahead of tomorrow's January Camp match against Venezuela, he credited former Head Coach Gregg Berhalter with laying the groundwork for the team's current ambition.
"I think the United States has competed at a high international level and was one of the revelations of the World Cup in Qatar," Pochettino said, originally in Spanish. "I always say credit to my predecessor, Gregg, who is now with the Chicago Fire. I think he did a great job and has brought the team to a high level. We give many thanks to him."
Berhalter – who was let go by the USMNT after a disappointing group stage exit from the Copa América over the summer – has also made an impact in Chicago, finalizing eight player signings so far. The former national team defender has taken up a role overseeing all sporting operations as Director of Football for the Fire and is close to completing the signing of Ivorian international star Jonathan Bamba. The Fire have also been linked with Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr., who is in discussions with the club.
Pochettino, meanwhile, has won three of his first four games as head coach, including a 2-0 win over Panama, a 1-0 road win at Jamaica, and a 4-2 thumping in the return leg against the Reggae Boyz. His only defeat came in Mexico with a heavily rotated lineup.
While Berhalter's time with the U.S. had a bitter end at Copa América, many have been quick to credit him for his many successes throughout a five-year tenure. On a basic level, he won three CONCACAF titles and heralded an era of U.S. dominance over the region. But more importantly, he transformed a team that had just failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup back to the promised land, ushering in a new generation of talent and reaching the World Cup round of 16 with the youngest team in the tournament.
Speaking to media after a presentation at last week's United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, Berhalter noted that he felt he had received the credit he deserved for his accomplishments with the U.S., despite the swarms of constant online negativity that have plagued the conversation around him.
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"I think there's an undercurrent online and in the Twitter-sphere or Instagram-sphere that doesn't represent reality necessarily," Berhalter said. "The reality is that people were very proud of my time (with the USMNT), and that's nice to hear validated now."
"Everywhere I am, at airports, places like (the convention), people come up to me with a ton of positivity. Thanking me, thanking us for our time (with the USMNT), and how the team has progressed and grown, and that makes me feel good."
Both the USMNT and the Fire are in the greater Miami metropolitan area; the U.S. will face Venezuela (January 18th) and Costa Rica (January 22nd) in a pair of January friendlies in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, while the Fire will kick off their preseason schedule against Fortaleza E.C. (January 19th) just outside Fort Lauderdale in Davie.
Read more:
https://meninred97.com/offseason-a-work-in-progress-says-berhalter/
https://meninred97.com/u-s-way-introduced-on-road-to-2026/
https://meninred97.com/5-takeaways-from-pochettinos-usmnt-start/
