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World Cup 2022: Gregg Berhalter still trying to win over U.S. fans
By Alexi Lalas
FOX Sports Soccer Analyst
American soccer — what a strange and beautiful beast we are.
We eat our own, often with relish. We carry our insecurities and complexes like Jacob Marley’s chains.
As we sit here in February 2022, coming to the climax of World Cup qualifying next month, we find ourselves debating all things Gregg Berhalter: the U.S. Men's National Team coach’s footwear and selfie choices, his Minnesota freeze-out decision, his proclivity for MLS players, his slow starts and perplexing substitution patterns, his idealism in the face of defeat, his inability to identify a productive striker and, of course, the evergreen accusation of nepotism in his appointment.
Berhalter does not deserve our blind faith, our steadfast deference or our unwavering support. He is seen as a product of the American soccer system, with all the baggage that can come with that distinction.
From the moment Berhalter took the job, following the biggest failure in American soccer history, his charge was to find a way to get the masses to believe in this team again — not just to, as the chant goes, "believe that we will win," but also to believe that this team is again worthy of our time, attention and praise.
At times over the past three years, Berhalter has succeeded, and at times, he has failed. Some have changed their tune, as they see a coach building something strong, exciting and interesting for the future. Others have doubled down on what they see as a young and inexperienced American coach out of his depth and unable to get the best out of arguably the most talented generation in American history.
The angst, pessimism and hand-wringing are to be expected. You can’t blame American soccer fans. We’ve been here before, and we have had our hopes and dreams crushed.
But I think there is something else, something lurking adjacent to and even bubbling underneath the criticism of Berhalter. We don’t have a true English translation of the German word "Schadenfreude." But we all know what it means.
There is a palpable desire, from some, to see Berhalter fail and, in that failure, to feel some sense of validation and vindication. We all want to be right, even sometimes at the expense of the greater good. Yes, it’s selfish, petty and immature. But it is also human, and I don’t claim to be immune to it.
Ultimately, the only thing that matters right now is whether Berhalter qualifies this USMNT for the World Cup. But even if he does, few minds will change. The lines have been drawn.
Even in Qatar, there will be those hoping for Berhalter to fail, for Schadenfreude. Because we still want to be right, and so we will continue to eat our own.
We’ve developed a taste for it.
Alexi Lalas, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and one of the sport’s most recognizable personalities, joined FOX Sports in January 2015 as a lead studio and game analyst. Lalas has contributed to FOX Sports’ coverage of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, England’s FA Cup, Major League Soccer, USMNT matches, CONCACAF Gold Cups, UEFA European Championship Qualifiers, FIFA Women’s World Cup and Copa America. He also hosts the weekly podcast "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union."
