USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter talks World Cup prep, says workforce ‘can beat anybody’ in Qatar

DOHA, Qatar — Eight years in the past, Jurgen Klinsmann famously stated it was unattainable for his U.S. males’s nationwide workforce to win the World Cup in Brazil. He stated it to me in an prolonged interview for The New York Instances Journal a number of months earlier than the match, then doubled down on it in a press convention in Sao Paulo simply earlier than the U.S. opener. Klinsmann felt it was vital to be blunt, however many American followers — and a few of Klinsmann’s personal gamers — have been troubled by what felt like a defeatist angle.

On Saturday, in an unique interview with ESPN two days earlier than his U.S. workforce opens the World Cup, head coach Gregg Berhalter thought of the identical query. He paused, only a for a second, then smiled.

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“What I do consider,” he stated, “is that on our greatest day we are able to beat anybody on the planet. Anybody.”

That is the mentality Berhalter has ingrained in his younger workforce, pushing them to embrace the concept the one manner they’re going to make historical past is that if they consider they’ll. To assist advance that mind-set, Berhalter lately organized a workforce assembly by which Eric Thomas, a well-liked motivational speaker with a exceptional private story of rising up from homelessness, talked with the gamers in regards to the unbelievable energy of perception.

And whereas Berhalter, a well known sneakerhead, stated he hasn’t but picked which sneakers he’ll put on to the U.S.’s first match towards Wales, when requested what number of pairs he’d introduced with him to Qatar, he did not hesitate: seven, one for every potential sport by means of to the ultimate.

“Look, it’s a nice honor to play within the World Cup, however we do not need to simply be members,” Berhalter stated. “We need to carry out.”

To be clear: Berhalter is not predicting the U.S. will likely be champions. He is merely specializing in the notion that success hardly ever comes with out conviction. That was one thing Berhalter discovered first as a world participant and now works to instill as a supervisor.

In spite of everything, that is — by far — the largest stage Berhalter has been on as a coach. He took over 4 years in the past, charged with restoring the U.S. to respectability after the disastrous failure of the 2018 qualifying cycle. At a minimal, he has performed that, overseeing a generational overhaul of the U.S. workforce that included the recruitment of star-level twin nationals like Yunus Musah and Timothy Weah, and the elevation of proficient prodigies like Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.

Berhalter, although, desires extra. His preparation for these subsequent three video games has ramped up in depth over the previous week, as he and his teaching workers pushed one another to attempt to take into account each potential state of affairs they could encounter throughout one of many group stage matches.

If that sounds exhaustive, that is as a result of it’s; Berhalter is understood for his bent towards information and analytics, and he’s decided to organize for any route a U.S. sport may go.

What’s going to the U.S. do in the event that they’re up a objective? Down a objective? Down two? Up a person? Down a person? How will they deal with it if certainly one of their gamers will get injured? What if the opposing star goes down early? Berhalter desires to have a plan for all of them. The state of affairs that the majority issues him? The one he hasn’t considered forward of time.

“We now have the time now, we have had the time for the final couple months,” he stated. “While you’re on the sphere and the sideline and the gang is loud and there is stress moments — in case you’re not ready, I believe it hurts decision-making.”

Berhalter is aware of there will likely be challenges. There are lacking first-choice gamers out due to harm. There are excessive temperatures and really late kickoff instances and three Group B opponents (England, Wales, Iran) with vital pedigree and expertise. There are not any pushovers, no matches by which the U.S. is a major favourite.

However there’s additionally dedication. There will likely be 1000’s of U.S. followers supporting the workforce in Qatar. There will likely be tens of millions extra watching and hoping again in america. There will likely be that youthful mixture of precociousness and pluck which may, sure, typically result in naïve performances however may also remodel into magic.

Berhalter’s job is to steer. To encourage. To place his gamers ready the place they could discover their finest selves when it issues most. The journey begins Monday. And in contrast to his predecessor, Berhalter does not but know the place it is going to finish.

“We expect step one is getting out of the group,” he stated. “And the second step is, within the knockout video games, taking part in our greatest potential sport and seeing how far we are able to go.”