Gregg Berhalter Reflects on USMNT Firing: ‘It Is Like Mourning a Death’

Former United States men’s national soccer team coach Gregg Berhalter spoke about his firing at his introductory press conference as head coach and director of football with the Chicago Fire on Thursday, likening it to “mourning a death.”

“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, per Paul Tenorio of The Athletic.

“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.”

Berhalter was the USMNT head coach from Dec. 2018 to Dec. 2022 before his contract expired. Six months later, U.S. Soccer decided to bring Berhalter back through the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, U.S. Soccer changed course after Copa America, when Berhalter’s team failed to get out of the group stage.

Berhalter spoke about that performance and took “full responsibility” for the team’s outing.

“We didn’t perform well in the Copa America, and when you don’t perform well at a high level, there are consequences,” Berhalter said. “I take full responsibility for that, but it still hurts. When you get past that mourning period, you have support around you, now it’s about reflecting.”

Berhalter has been fired before after Swedish club Hammarby fired him after a year-and-a-half in charge in July 2013. He was then hired as Columbus Crew’s sporting director and head coach and proceeded to lead the club to the playoffs in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, including an MLS Cup appearance in 2015. Berhalter then left Columbus for the USMNT position.

Berhalter did lead his teams to a Gold Cup victory once and the Nations League title twice. And the USMNTwent to the 2022 World Cup after failing to qualify in 2018. The United States also made the round of 16 before falling to The Netherlands.

However, the United States also barely snuck into the World Cup knockout round and ultimately scored just three times in four matches. And the Copa America, which the United States hosted, was a disaster with two losses in three matches sinking the team.

Berhalter is moving on, though, and is looking ahead to the next challenge.

“And then from there you become motivated, alright? Now I want the next opportunity. You get hungry again,” Berhalter said after moving forward post-firing. “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 [club owner Joe Mansueto], who understands what a top level is and how to build something that’s really good and sustainable.”

Berhalter takes over a team that currently sits last in the MLS’ Eastern Conference with 31 points (seven wins, nine draws, 17 losses). So he has his work cut out for him, but he’s clearly looking forward to the challenge.