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Top Voices in U.S. Soccer Call for Gregg Berhalter’s Head

The U.S. is the first host nation to fail to make it out of the group stages of the Copa América.

A slew of top names in U.S. Soccer reached their breaking point Monday night, sounding off against “kumbaya” manager Gregg Berhalter and calling for his firing after the U.S. became the first host nation to not advance past the group stage of Copa América. Among the harshest voices was the typically uber-positive Alexi Lalas, who said on Fox Sports’ post-match broadcast the U.S. was wasting its top talent. “I know the knives are out, and they should be, because this is not good enough,” he said. The USMNT legend Clint Dempsey concurred, saying, “This is our golden generation, looks like we’re wasting it.” Speaking after back-t0-back losses on Monday, Berhalter said he deserves to keep his job through the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. despite him managing a paltry six wins, eight draws, and 10 losses against top-30 opponents in his tenure. Despite his performance shortcomings and off-the-pitch controversies, Berhalter remained in the job by Tuesday afternoon. The man who decides his future, the federation’s sporting director, Matt Crocker, conceded in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. “fell short of our expectations” in the Copa América and that “a comprehensive review of our performance” would be launched.