- Berhalter recently reappointed USMNT boss
- Twellman frustrated by managerial search
- Calls for greater transparency
WHAT HAPPENED? Gregg Berhalter's contract was not renewed when it expired in December 2022, while an investigation took place into historic domestic abuse. That probe subsequently revealed that Giovanni Reyna's family had been guilty in meddling in national team affairs in recent years - though allegations that they blackmailed Berhalter were dismissed.
U.S. Soccer undertook a lengthy search for a replacement, only for Berhalter to be reappointed in June. Twellman found the entire process detracted from the "exciting" players the Stars and Stripes currently have at their disposal.
WHAT THEY SAID: "The USMNT is an interesting world, especially over the last eight months. There is drama that should not be public, there’s a long, drawn-out process to hiring the same coach that you already had and spent money for. To hire a search firm, that comes back to the same person… can you follow where I’m going here? It’s a difficult one right now in the United States," Twellman told GOAL at an event promoting Apple TV's MLS Season Pass.
"Folarin Balogun announces that he wants to play for the United States, the young profile of the players, it’s an exciting time. And yet the only thing people want to ask me about is the Berhalter vs Reyna cr*p. As a former national team member I’m sat here thinking: [The 1994 World Cup] got us to this point, 2026 is going to take this sport to a whole new level. I can’t believe we’re having this kind of conversation."
He added: "They say they interviewed ten people? I want to know. You’ve got to be a bit more transparent and say who you interviewed and who you talk to. You can’t just say: ‘I called Zinedine Zidane, he said no.’ I think Gregg Berhalter has his hands full. Collectively, in the United States, it’s 50/50. Usually it’s 95/5 in support of the USMNT. Right now, it is not. It’s very rare."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Despite all of the off-field turmoil, the Stars and Stripes have been performing well on the pitch under the guidance of interim coach B.J. Callaghan. The U.S. won their second Concacaf Nations League title in June and are also two victories away from lifting the Gold Cup.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Getty / GOAL
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Berhalter will take control of the USMNT after the team's Gold Cup campaign concludes. All eyes will then be firmly fixed on the Copa America next summer, which comes just two years before a home World Cup in 2026.
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