Why isn’t Gregg Berhalter coaching the USNMT in the friendlies against Serbia and Colombia?
The USMNT start 2023 with two friendly matches against Serbia and Colombia but coach Gregg Berhalter will not be on the bench for the games.
After their Round of 16 elimination at the hands of the Netherlands at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the USMNT are back in action preparing to play two low-key (non FIFA recognised and using only MLS based players) friendly matches this week. On Wednesday they will play against Serbia, while just three days later they face Colombia in Los Angeles.
For these games, Gregg Berhalter, the USMNT coach at the World Cup will not be on the bench following a scandal that emerged connecting his family with the Reyna family with the matter being investigated by the US Soccer Federation.
Danielle Reyna, wife of U.S. soccer legend Claudio Reyna and mother of budding U.S. star Gio Reyna, announced in early January that she disclosed details of a 1991 domestic violence incident, which involved her college roommate and Berhalter’s wife of 25 years, Rosalind, to U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Earnie Stewart, triggering an independent investigation commissioned by the USSF.
With an investigation ongoing, Anthony Hudson has been drafted in as interim coach to oversee the January friendly games. “On the one hand, it is a moment that fills me with pride, although due to the circumstances it is also somewhat complicated because I am a very loyal person,” the former Colorado Rapids coach said at a press conference.
Berhalter contract
Gregg Berhalter’s current contract with the United States team expired at the end of 2022, but it’s widely accepted that the 49-year-old’s tenure on the bench with the US side has come to an end.
In recent days it was announced that US Soccer offered the coaching position to former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, however, the Frenchman reportedly rejected the offer. AS Roma’s Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho is another who has been linked with the position but the Setubal born coach claims that his immediate future lies with the Serie A side.