It may be three months since Gregg Berhalter was fired as U.S. men’s national team head coach, but that pain still hasn’t left the 51-year-old.
Berhalter, who recently was hired as the next head coach of the Chicago Fire, spent close to six years with U.S. Soccer. He managed the USMNT for 74 matches, winning two CONCACAF Nations League titles, one Gold Cup, and helping the Americans reach the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, his second spell as USMNT head coach only lasted 14 matches, with a group stage exit at the 2024 Copa America sealing Berhalter’s end in his role.
Berhalter now has a new opportunity to look forward to in Chicago, but admitted the pain in being fired in his last job.
“It’s a really difficult moment when you get fired as a coach, and I don’t want to liken this to life and death at all because it’s not. You’re still alive, but it is like mourning a death,” Berhalter said in a press conference Thursday. “And you wake up the next day and you feel really bad. Your confidence takes a hit and it’s a really difficult moment.
“For me it was really about being with my family in those moments and giving myself the time and the freedom and the space to feel sad and feel bad,” he added. “We didn’t perform well in Copa América and when you don’t perform well at a high level there’s consequences, and I take full responsibility for that. But it still hurts.”
Next March will mark Berhalter’s first match on an MLS sideline since 2018 as he now aims to get the Fire back on track. Chicago has failed to make the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, losing 17 matches in league play this year.
Despite having talented players in Brian Gutierrez, Chris Brady, and Chris Mueller, the Fire have failed to play at a consistent level. Berhalter’s past success with the Columbus Crew will certainly have Fire fans excited for the future, and the New Jersey native admitted the growing potential in the Fire under chairman Joe Mansueto.
“And then from there you become motivated, alright? Now I want the next opportunity. You get hungry again,” Berhalter said. “And during that period when I got hungry, there’s a number of opportunities that I was looking at and I kept coming back to Chicago and the potential and the alignment.
“It’s not every day that you get to work for a man like Joe Mansueto, who understands what a top level is and how to build something that’s really good and sustainable,” he added.
The Fire close out their 2024 league schedule on Saturday at home against Nashville SC.
