We joked a few days ago that US Soccer became French without success, which dives into the drama behind the scenes and parental conflict. Little do we know how they want to be France. Reports started to leak out over the weekend, Zinedine Zidane turned down an offer from US Soccer to take over as USMNT’s coach.
The fact that Zizou didn’t even listen to an offer wasn’t a big shock, as he made it pretty clear that the only international job he wanted to take over was in France. Though with Didier Deschamps set to return after the next World Cup, perhaps that dream of his is fading. It is known that he also shunned Portugal and Brazil. He made it clear that he didn’t really want to go too far or take a job where he didn’t speak the language. Having to spend part of his winter in Chicago, where US Soccer headquarters, somehow didn’t make him forget those two qualifiers. Shock, I know.
What does this mean for Gregg Berhalter?
The fact that US Soccer even appears his name is eye-catching for many reasons. First and foremost, its timing cannot be ignored. US Soccer got embroiled in a rather sad controversy and sorry Thank you Reyna and Gregg Berhalter family. You could argue that they got into it by not doing it exhaustively appraisal of Berhalter and learn about him kicking his current wife 31 years ago. But it’s also fair to wonder if something happened 31 years ago, the whole thing Berhalter and his wife Rosalind say they have past the time when they were married with four children, would get him out of the job anyway. Most likely no one would have known about it if Reynas hadn’t completely tormented himself for using their child at the World Cup.
Although this basically happened with US Soccer, not because of it (a departure for them, sure), it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that they want to change the narrative and headline around the organization, if only for a few days. What better way to do that than to make it seem like you want one of the most famous names in gaming history to work for you and guide the USMNT to the World Cup they will host in in less than four years? It appears that US Soccer never actually spoke to Zidane and not some intermediaries, but the “sources” were just happy to reveal that they tried. Somewhere Robert De Niro and his cap are lurking in the background.
Is US Soccer changing its tune?
But, even just floating the idea of hiring Zidane is a new US Soccer trick. And even if it’s saying “Hey, look over there!”, it hopes to signal a new attitude from the organization. The feeling about US Soccer is that since Jurgen Klinsmann got something, they are no longer interested in hiring any manager who will rock the boat on how they do things, or try to upend other fiefdoms together. charlatans and charlatans all over the country, and won’t take too much money either. Some people always repeat that US Soccer imposes an MLS quota on every squad, although that has subsided in recent years, as US Soccer is no longer part of the league’s marketing department.
Berhalter’s hiring did not help assuage any of these complaints, as the organization has never interviewed anyone else for the job after missing the 2018 World Cup (and there are several more qualified candidates people actively want the job) and repro. At the time of recruitment, it certainly seemed like an act of self-defense that American Football has become synonymous with.
The hope now is that even discussing Zidane, aside from its distracting part, means that US Soccer is turning a new page and just wants to hire the best it can, influence and money. It is clear that the United States cannot beat the next World Cup and needs to put on a good, if not historic, performance. Of course, no manager can guarantee that, but there are people out there who can come pretty close. Zidane is unproven at the international level, but is sure to attract the attention of everyone on the team with a background of just one manager.
The USMNT job should also be a pretty lucrative job for anyone in the field. There is a squad full of players who will be in the middle of their peak by the time the next World Cup hits. There is no media pressure, or anything close to it, that one can become national team coach for other vacancies at the moment like Portugal or Brazil. There’s really no need for the title. If whoever takes over this position can show up, such as the semi-finals in Copa America (if the USA participates) in 2024 and another in the World Cup, they will become the USMNT coach. most successful in history. They will also be the first to make a serious fuss with the United States, at least for 20 years and possibly forever, depending on each person’s view of the 2002 quarterfinals. It was an end. attractive case.
The hunch is that US Soccer wants to keep Berhalter around, because his performance has demonstrated to the organization’s comfort that he’s not the one to turn the tide. The noise around him now could make US Soccer just want to clear things up. The easiest thing for US Soccer, Berhalter and the players now is to go ahead and skip most of the questions. But if they continue, US Soccer seems to be cornered when it has to hire someone with a family background and reputation. If not, what’s the problem?
Maybe it’s the football equivalent of starting a mock war in Albania, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right line of thought.
