United States

Gregg Berhalter discusses pressure of coaching USMNT at Copa América 2024

Updated Mar. 12, 2024 4:48 p.m. ET

Editor's note: We're 100 days out from Copa América! Alexi Lalas sat down with Gregg Berhalter in February to discuss the expectations for the USMNT going into the tournament and what a poor showing could mean for his job. The original story is as follows.

The United States men's national team will compete in the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América this summer as both the highest-ranked guest team and the host nation. In other words, expectations will be high for the Americans — particularly head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Berhalter returned as head coach of the U.S. men's national team in June, seven months after he led the United States out of the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was expected to return in January, following the expiration of his contract in December, but an investigation into an incident involving a 1991 domestic violence incident and the parents of USMNT star Gio Reyna delayed the process.

Now Berhalter has been tasked with getting the U.S. to the level of the other top teams in the tournament, including Brazil, Uruguay and 2022 World Cup champions Argentina. He's aware of what's expected of him in the two years leading up to the 2026 World Cup, and what could happen if he fails to meet those expectations.

"For us to achieve our goals and what we want to do, the Copa América's very important," Berhalter said when asked about the pressure of Copa América on "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast." "We have to do two things: we have to learn how to beat the best in the world, and we have to learn how to thrive in knockout competition. Copa América's going to be big for that.

"Regarding myself and the job, one thing I've learned with the national team job is that it's one of one — you're always under pressure, you're always accountable for results. This is part of it. I'm learning to live with the pressure. I don't think there's any pressure the outside can put on us or me personally that I don't put on myself. We're very focused on achieving our goals and doing well in Copa América."

Gregg Berhalter on his job depending on success at Copa América | SOTU

But for Berhalter, development remains the No. 1 priority for the United States, and he cautioned that results aren't always the best indicator of development.

"It's really hard to pinpoint an exact game or an exact tournament to say that the team's not developing — that's very difficult to do," Berhlater said. "Our job is to develop this team so that when we get to 2026, we can really make this country proud."

The U.S. will open group play at Copa América on June 23 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The 2024 Copa América will take place from June 20 to July 14 and be broadcast on the FOX family of networks.

You can listen to the full episode of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast" with Gregg Berhalter below.