USA soccer coach Gregg Berhalter sacked: A complete timeline on the coach's tenure leading USMNT

Here's how the two-spell tenure of Gregg Berhalter went down

By Chuck Booth

Jul 10, 2024 at 10:05 pm ET • 4 min read

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After becoming the first host nation to be knocked out of Copa America during the group stage of the tournament, the United States Soccer Federation has sacked Gregg Berhalter as manager. Hired in 2018, Berhalter has overseen 74 matches as manager of the United States with a 44-13-17 record. Winning the Gold Cup and twice winning the Nations League, Berhalter has achieved a lot with the United States, but after crashing out of the Copa America, it was clear that a change was needed with the World Cup on home soil two years away.

Let's take a look back at Berhalter's time with the USMNT:

Dec. 2018: Gregg Berhalter hired as USMNT manager

Once missing the 2018 World Cup was official under manager Bruce Arena, a decision was made on who would lead the USMNT back to the World Cup as Berhalter was determined to be the guy as he moved on from the Columbus Crew. Berhalter had previously been an assistant with the Los Angeles Galaxy and he also coached abroad with Hammarby. When hired, his biggest achievement was making MLS Cup with the Crew but Berhalter had not won a trophy despite turning the Crew into a consistent playoff team. When Berhalter was hired, his brother Jay Berhalter was the chief commercial officer for U.S. Soccer.

July 2019-Aug. 2021: USMNT's winning summer

After the disappointment of missing the 2018 World Cup in Russia settled, it was time to restore faith in the national team and Berhalter got a quick chance to do that. Defeating Mexico in both the Gold Cup and Nations League finals, it was a moment that not only marked the USMNT as being back but also helped push them above Mexico in the ranking of Concacaf's best sides.

March 30, 2022: Qualified for 2022 World Cup

With a 2-0 victory over Costa Rica, the USMNT avoided missing back-to-back World Cups as Berhalter did what he was expected to do. Stabilizing the team, Berhalter led the USMNT to a third-place finish in World Cup qualifying. Getting a consistent XI together, while the USMNT didn't have a true identity yet, it became clear who some of the first names on the team sheet would be moving forward like Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic.

Dec. 3, 2022: USA knocked out of World Cup

After struggling to reach the knockout stage and finally securing a victory over a top 20 FIFA nation in Iran, the United States ran out of steam against the Netherlands. Conceding two goals in the first half of play, the USMNT never had a chance at getting into the match but this was when the cracks began to show. Despite progressing to the round of 16, the United States lacked attacking strength and weren't able to show that they could defeat a top nation in the world. At the end of the tournament, Berhalter's contract also expired.

Jan. 2023: U.S. Soccer announces investigation

After player Gio Reyna's family wasn't happy with the lack of playing time for their son during the World Cup, U.S. Soccer was informed of an event in Berhalter's past. In 1991, Berhatler kicked his now-wife Rosalind when they were dating, he admitted. U.S. Soccer announced an investigation into the incident while plenty of changes went on around the team. Anthony Hudson and then B.J. Callahan took over as interim coaches and Matt Crocker also came in as U.S. Soccer sporting director as a new era began.

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Aug. 2023: Berhalter brought back

The investigation determined that the domestic violence incident was an isolated affair, paving the way for Berhlater to return as manager. He repaired his relationship with Gio Reyna and was set to oversee the USMNT through the 2026 World Cup.

March 24, 2024: Wins Nations League

Defeating Mexico yet again, the USMNT secured their 10th victory in a championship final. Reyna was named player of that tournament where the team overcame adversity due to a red card issued to Sergino Dest. It was a moment that felt like a turning point for the USMNT as they were able to take care of business in regulation, winning the tournament for the third consecutive time.

July 2024: Eliminated from Copa America

All the good will from the Nations League went out the window after falling to Uruguay in Copa America. Red cards again were an issue with a Tim Weah shove seeing the USMNT go down to 10 while losing to Panama but there were plenty of moments where they didn't show enough fight, crashing out during the group stage of the tournament.

July 2024: Berhalter fired

As pressure built following the elimination from Copa America, it was determined that a change was needed at manager. Berhaltter has restored stability to the USMNT but he hasn't shown that he can be the manager to lead the team to the next level. With the 2026 World Cup looming on home soil, U.S. Soccer won't have time for another 10-month search before announcing a manager.