- Berhalter saddened by recent revelations
- Says it was wife's story to tell
- U.S. coaching decision looms as 2026 cycle starts
WHAT HAPPENED? Berhalter revealed in a statement on Tuesday that he kicked his current wife and then-girlfriend Rosalind back in 1991 at the age of 18. The two ended up working through the incident privately and have since gotten married while having four children together.
After Berhalter controversially called out Gio Reyna's attitude back in December, longtime family friends Claudio and Danielle Reyna, Gio's parents, told U.S. Soccer leadership about the incident, leading to an investigation into Berhalter. On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer leadership confirmed that there is currently an investigation into potential "inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by people outside of the organization".
WHAT THEY SAID: "Sadness. Our entire family is sad about these events," Berhalter said while speaking at a Harvard Business Review conference. "As we said in the statement, this isn't something we were prepared to hide from then, and we won't hide from it now. The worst part of it for me is my heart aches for my wife. It was her story to tell if she chose to or not, and that's what just really saddens me."
When asked if he regrets calling out Reyna in December, Berhalter said: "If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have told that story. It brought too much attention to an overall shining example of team culture and teamwork. That would be something I'd go back and change for sure."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Berhalter's future remains uncertain as his contract with U.S. Soccer expired at the start of the new year. Sporting Director Earnie Stewart said on Wednesday that Berhalter is still in contention to stay on to start the 2026 cycle, although Stewart and U.S. Soccer leadership are currently conducting a performance review to determine the way forward even as the Berhalter-Reyna controversy remains under investigation.
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WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT? Under interim coach Anthony Hudson, the U.S. will face Serbia and Colombia in a pair of friendlies later this month as part of the annual January camp, which usually features a predominantly MLS-based squad.