After his master tactical class in outcoaching Bob Bradley tonight in the MLS Conference Final, there's an argument to be made that he would have been a far better choice than Berhalter.
Because maybe he wasn’t even offered an interview? Because maybe no one else were candidates to begin with?
Because he's an outsider. He isn't part of the establishment and no one ever talked about him as being a great coach, despite putting up great coaching numbers. He wasnt part of the East Coast or SoCal establishment. US Soccer hates Cascadia and hates Adrian Hanauer and all things Seattle to be honest. We only got a US Mens National Team World Cup Qualifier for the first time in 37 years because Klinsmann insisted on it. US Soccer ignored Cascadia for most of its existence and will continue to do so.
They knew it was Gregg from the day Earnie took over. They did their best to distance the hire from a crap WC flame out to try and let the anger dissipate. They let Dave run out the young non MLS guys to try and gain some traction with fans. The fans never really let it go, and so they decided they had to at least interview one other guy and so they interviewed Pareja to say they had a search. Then hired Berhalter when it was obvious the fans were just not going to let it go. The whole search was a farce and just shows how inept the USSF is at trying to help the team move forward.
That might be easier to answer. They may have known he didn't want the job. It's no secret that he loves living in Seattle and he and his family left Salt Lake to come here specifically because he and they wanted to live here.
im not trying to take your guy away, just saying no one in us soccer is qualified. earnies never built anything, lagerways built easily half a dozen GREAT teams (by mls standards, which is apparently the ceiling for us soccer)
Who knows, it matters not one bit at this point, but clearly the guy should be in the running to replace Berhalter once we lose the first two games of the hex.
i totally agree with you. yeah, i'm just saying what's been reported in the past. he and his family love living here and i could really see that being a reason he was not asked if they already knew what his answer would be. i really think US soccer should go outside of MLS when looking but they don't think like you or i.
He certainly knows how to get the best out of Roldan and Morris. He'd also know how to get the best out of Pulisic. The guy is a soccer fanatic, a student of the game. He's always taking notes and watching other great coaches of the world. He's been a Seattle icon since his days as a kid playing in the 80s NASL, is an ECS member, his family for a long time has been deeply involved in the sport and ran a soccer shop. He's as home grown as it gets and as passionate about the sport as it gets. Which is exactly why he probably won't be considered.
This isn't what's alarming to me, what's alarming to me is what someone posted, or wrote on a twitter or something, forget which, namely: 2017-2018 Coaching Search: Interviews-1.5 2017 Coaching Search: Interviews: 1 2011 Coaching Search: Interviews: 1 2006 Coaching Search: Interviews: 2*? 1998 Coaching Search: Interviews: 1 1994/1995 Coaching Search: Interviews: 1?/interim hired on full time. Unless I'm mistaken, over the past 25 years, we've engaged in coaching "searches", and all possible sarcasm is intended, a total of six times, and in only one instance, did we genuinely seriously consider more than 1 option, and that's 2006 when Klinsmann was the desired hire, but Sunil wouldn't surrender all the control he wanted. Unless I'm mistaken, i don't believe many, if any, coaching searches have been this insular, borderline incestuous, worldwide over this long of a time period. It seems to me that nations look at plenty of options from domestic club coaches, to international flavor of the month types, to top assistants in waiting and everything inbetween. It seems as if w/the USMNT, it's basically been the grand poo bah, a couple of top assistants, and flashy snake oil salesman, and that's about it. I've never sensed, at all, that the fed has really entered upon any major search EVER. When the most interviews you give, is two, you've rigged the process. The fact that where you live, and that you speak English is more important than your CV, confirms that it's rigged. The entire system is a ---- show. It's not simply why didnt they hire this or that guy, it's why have all six searches been absurd jokes over the past 25 years, literally every single one hasn't been a legit search. Why? Listen to the latest Scuffed podcast. It helps.
Has it been confirmed that we didn't interview more than one or two coaches in any of those 6 cycles, or is that mostly speculation? I ask only because I do recall some more interesting names being floated in past cycles, whereas I agree that the pool seemed quite limited this time around.
Yes, like Pekerman and a few others, I'm not arguing my take from a journalists iron clad perspective, it's what I've seen a journo mention in a tweet if memory serves and it corroborates what I heard w/regards to '94, '98, '06, '11 and '17. Could be wrong, but it does seem as if names like Pekerman popping up, were just speculation, and actual formal interviews have been virtually non-existent.
They knew it was Gregg from the day Arena was fired. We knew it was Gregg when the WC was over and there was no movement, nada, toward hiring a manager. Aside from the gross nepotism, the most obscene thing about this is that they let the team languish without a manager for a year and a half, while the knew who the new manager was. Then it turns out that new manager is installing a "system" that takes forever to become accustomed to. It's Keystone Cops stuff.
I posted that around here somewhere; having stumbled on it by accident, just going back in my head. I don't remember the 2002 coaching search; so I don't know how Arena was originally hired. You can say 2006 was a search, but it didn't actually produce a candidate. Bradley was appointed when Bruce was fired as an interim, then was given the job. Klinsman was the only consideration. Arena was the only consideration to replace him. Sarachan was on his staff when he was fired and was given the job. That brings us to Gregg, where they called one other person but didn't sit down with him.
Look, for everyone complaining about a lack of "interviews", I don't think an interview has anything with a thorough manager search. It's like Allen Iverson said - we're talking about interviews? I mean, interviews? Not games, not resumes, not championships, not experience - but interviews?!? Managers should be selected based on their resume, where they have coached before, and what they have achieved. Period. It doesn't matter one iota what anyone says during an interview and it has nothing to do with what kind of coach that person will be. I don't care if the interview is 1 hour or 5 hours - you aren't going to learn that much that shouldn't already be evident from the resume and research, i.e. talking to players who have played for those coaches. The interview is just the cherry on top after you have selected your manager. It means nothing. Look, Berhalter had one of the best resumes on paper when he was hired. Experience playing in Germany and Netherlands. Experience at a World Cup. Experience coaching in Sweden, and a few solid MLS cup runs with Columbus Crew. Schmetzer had none of that in Dec 2018, save one MLS Cup, and two years head coaching experience at MLS level. So he wasn't going to get the job. Berhalter's main competitors (from my perspective) should have been Peter Vermes, Greg Vanney, Dom Kinnear, and Jason Kreis. Among those choices, Gregg was a fair choice. I still think he can succeed.
You take away the playing experience, and you're left with a failed stint in Sweden and one MLS Cup final appearance. Otherwise, no meaningful trophy (i.e., no MLS Cup or Supporters Shield) and hardly the most impressive record with Columbus (1.41 points per game). Although he didn't always have a lot to work with, I'd still have preferred someone a bit more proven than that. Schmetzer would have been far from my first choice, but in 2018 he had two MLS Cup final appearances, one major trophy (MLS Cup), and a superior overall record (1.68 points per game right now). That strikes me as being a bit better than Berhalter, although Schmetzer definitely had more to work with there.. I'm not sure why those are the main competitors, but I don't see a lot separating Berhalter and most of those names in terms of record or accomplishments. Still probably worth noting that Vermes, Vanney, Kinnear, and Kreis have all won silverware as managers (both MLS Cup and Supporters Shield for all but Kreis), while Berhalter had not. I believe Vanney's and Vermes's sides had superior records as well, but it's been a while since I checked. And there were clearly superior options with recent MLS experience from around that time, like Tata Martino or Jesse Marsch (or Bob Bradley though I can understand wanting to avoid another retread around that time). If they weren't interested, fair enough, but I'd still like to know whether we made any serious effort to reach out to them, or anyone else outside of MLS with comparable credentials. Weirdly, I sort of agree. But it won't be because he was anywhere near the best option, in my mind.
What does Gregg have to do to be successful? Just continue his current path or make significant changes?
Based on our track record, all he really has to do to be successful is qualify for the World Cup, and then win at least one game. If he does that, I'm pretty much happy. Also would like a victory against Mexico in a competitive match.
I'd argue we should finish at worst second in CONCACAF with a chance to win but understand your point. What actual actions do you think Berhalter needs to take: are you ok with him continuing his current path?