Gregg Berhalter responded with a brief “Yes” when asked if he should continue leading the United States into the 2026 World Cup, despite their elimination from the Copa America by Uruguay.
Critics are likely to voice more opinions about his future with the national team.
Following a critical loss to Panama, Berhalter’s lineup of players from European clubs struggled to create scoring opportunities against Uruguay. Mathías Olivera’s controversial goal in the second half secured a 1-0 victory for La Celeste at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night, leaving the Americans questioning where things went awry.
“We’ll review the entire tournament and identify our shortcomings,” Berhalter said.
“The loss to Panama set us back, and collectively, the coaching staff, players, and management need to assess how to improve. We have a talented team with potential that we didn’t fully showcase.”
Berhalter and the U.S. aimed to demonstrate progress since their elimination in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup against the Netherlands. However, they managed only a 2-0 win over Bolivia and suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Panama.
“We started well and played with energy, but ultimately lacked the necessary quality,” said U.S. captain Christian Pulisic. “We gave our all but couldn’t find the goals we needed.”
The decisive goal on Monday came in the 66th minute from Nicolas De La Cruz’s free kick. Although Matt Turner initially saved Ronald Araújo’s header, the rebound fell to Olivera, who calmly scored with his left foot.
