13.01.2019 - 11:00 | Source: Transfermarkt.us | Reading Time: 4 mins

Former USNMT-Player

US-Head-Coach Berhalter: "Want to show that I’m the right man"

The US media called it one of US soccer’s worst kept secrets. A secret, which hasn’t really been one, has been revealed last December. Gregg Berhalter (photo) is the new US Men’s National Team coach. An appointment which has caused some turmoil.

Gregg Berhalter is one of the most talented US soccer coaches. He has led his former club, Columbus Crew SC, to the playoffs almost every year, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the MLS. Pulisic, Brooks, McKennie The Most Valuable US Players Get an overview

Under his leadership, players like Zack Steffen and Wil Trapp played themselves into the focus of bigger clubs. “I’m very grateful to the Columbus Crew for giving me the opportunity to implement my ideas as a coach and sporting director. We always had the support from our fans and we built something special. The opportunity to coach the national team is a big honor and a big challenge at the same time. I feel ready to take the next step in my career,” said the former USMNT-defender.

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His work didn’t go unnoticed in Europe. Rumors of Berhalter leaving the MLS for Europe where spread repeatedly. He’ll now stay with US Soccer. “It’s a big honor for me to take care of the national team. I’ve represented the United States at two World Cups as a player and I know about the importance of the national team. It is a privilege to follow the footsteps of the coaches who were in my position before me,” added the former Bundesliga-player.

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He did not get his reputation to be a real “tactic expert” by accident. As an active player, Berhalter took notes after every training session and analyzed them. “I’ve started my European career in the Netherlands, which was a great place to learn for me as a young player. At that time, teams like Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord have been on a high level and the development of Dutch players has been really important. I’ve thought about everything after the training sessions. Why we did something. How we did it. And how it could be adjusted and improved. I’ve always been fascinated by the details and the work, which made players and teams better,” so Berhalter.

There are quite a few similarities between the player and the coach Gregg Berhalter. “I think I’ve kept my values. I’ve got the same passion, pride and work ethic. As a player, you’re only responsible of what happens on the field. As a coach, you have to take care of many things. From the organization, to the media, through to the fans. I think it is an advantage to have that much experience as a player on a club basis and with the national team,” so the 45-year-old. But besides all the euphoria, there have been some critics.

Some of them say that he only got appointed as USMNT-head coach, because of his brother Jay, who works as the COO for the USSF. Also the month-long search for the replacement of Bruce Arena has raised some eyebrows, because according to some reports, the USSF just talked with Gregg Berhalter and former FC Dallas head coach Óscar Pareja. “I knew that the people would ask me about Jay when I take the job and it has been a big issue for me to say no, because the questions about Jay aren’t fair. Jay was not involved in the process of hiring me. My boss is Earnie Stewart and he’ll reports everything to the General Manager. Besides that, Jay makes a fantastic job and I think our relationship will help the whole organization,” said Berhalter and adds “It’s good to see that our fans are interested in that story, because that discussion shows that soccer is alive in the United States. It’s my task to show the critical fans that I’m the right man for this job. We’ll work hard on building a team which makes our fans proud. It’s our responsibility”. Berhalter has already made up his mind about the teams tactical orientation. “Our goal is, to be a team with a lot of possession and we want to get chances by using our opponent’s disorientation. We want to play that kind of soccer which our fans enjoy. Our national team entered a transition phase. We’ve got a lot of young players with a lot of potential, who are at the beginning of their international career. We want to realize our style of play with the right mix of young and experienced players. We want to get good results, for sure. That begins with the Gold Cup this summer and the Nations League in fall. The biggest goal is to qualify for the 2022 World Cup,” so Berhalter.

By Henrik Stadnischenko

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