On paper, the U.S. men's national team's Wednesday match at TQL Stadium is billed as a friendly, meaning the final score won't be of much consequence.
Of course, USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter would much rather evaluate his group's progress through the prism of a victory in a marquee matchup of two nations bound for this autumn's FIFA men's World Cup.
In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview staged Sunday with The Enquirer, Berhalter discussed Wednesday's intriguing, pre-FIFA World Cup tune-up match against the Moroccan national team, which is also bound for the Qatar World Cup in November and ranked the No. 24 team in the world.
Berhalter discussed his perspective on how his job has changed since the U.S. secured qualification for the Qatar World Cup.
Berhaltrer also peeled back the curtain on his evaluation process for FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez, and how his longtime friends Chris Albright and Pat Noonan are performing in their posts as FCC's general manager and head coach, respectively.
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Enquirer: Gregg, the last team you were in Cincinnati, the U.S. played Mexico and ended up with a very important “dos a cero” result in qualifying. By virtue of that final score, the match joined a long line of historic and memorable 2-0 wins against Mexico. You’re a part of that history now, and while media members spoke to you about that at the time, I wonder if you’ve given additional thought to being a part of that particulachapter of the program’s history? Is that meaningful to you?
Gregg Berhalter: “I think that when I look back on it, and the coincidence of ‘dos a cero’ and it coming up time and time again, I think it’s great for our program. But when you look at that match in particular, it was an example of the power of Americans, and the power of what we create in the stadium and the atmosphere. I had a lot of friends that came to the game and this was their first soccer game that they’d been to. You know, some neighbors from Chicago and they said that was the best sporting event that they’d ever been to. Not just soccer game. Best sporting event because of the stakes and the intensity of the game, the crowd and the stadium and everything. It was another chapter in U.S. Soccer’s ‘dos a cero’ lore.
“In one way, you know, I was glad we didn’t score a third goal just to keep it 2-0. In a crazy way.”
More:Everything you need to know for the USMNT-Morocco match at TQL Stadium
More:The latest on Cincinnati's bid to host FIFA World Cup matches
Enquirer: This is the third match you’ll have coached in Cincinnati since you became U.S. manager. It wasn’t too long ago that this city was not on the men’s national team’s radar in terms of being a destination for matches, and significant matches in particular. We’ve talked to you about the facilities here but what do you attribute that shift toward Cincinnati to?
GB: "I think when you host U.S.-Mexico, it means you are on the map in U.S. Soccer. It’s a huge event to host U.S.-Mexico. When I was in Columbus and able to see what was happening in Cincinnati, it’s becoming a soccer city. You know, we played at (the University of Cincinnati’s) Nippert Stadium (in June 2019 against Venezuela) for the reason of the fans. We knew what they could bring and the energy in that stadium is fantastic. Unfortunately, it’s turf so it wasn’t always ideal to come there and play often because you had to convert it to grass. But with TQL Stadium, it’s a top-of-the-line MLS stadium. Great field conditions. They have a great grounds crew and it’s the fans also. It’s the fans that make it what it is. We’ve been lucky enough to play in front of them twice and looking forward to doing it a third time.
Enquirer: The day after you announced your roster for this camp, (FC Cincinnati’s) Brandon Vazquez scored a goal on Matt Turner and New England Revolution. In Brandon’s case, I don’t think people who closely follow these things expect that something like one goal makes you rethink a call-up decision, but it did make me wonder how you experience watching and scouting the next round of matches after you name a squad. Does doubt ever creep in? Do you start to hope for certain outcomes that justify your selections?
GB: “It’s a great question but I think it’s really important to understand that we would never root against any U.S. national team player to justify our decisions.
Enquirer: "Sure, of course."
GB: "I would much rather Brandon make me look like a fool by not including him by scoring a hat-trick and scoring more goals. It’s about how do we get the best possible players in our group and if guys are doing well in our group, that’s a good thing. That’s never gonna be a bad thing. We have to make difficult decisions and that’s part of our jobs. We understand that as a staff and sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we get it right but we do our work. We watch all the players. There’s a clear way we want to play, clear profiles for each position. Things become a lot more clear. In the case of Brandon, he’s close. He is close to getting a call-up and he needs to keep performing over a longer period. It’s about six months that he’s performed at a high level. The national team level – international soccer – is a high level to compete at."
More:FC Cincinnati: How Brandon Vazquez played with U.S. MNT manager Gregg Berhalter watching
More:Gregg Berhalter on USMNT future for FC Cincinnati's Brandon Vazquez: 'He's close'
Enquirer: This doesn’t have to be specific to Brandon Vazquez, but when you have a player like him playing with and for guys that you have relationships with like (FC Cincinnati’s) Chris Albright and Pat Noonan, how does that help inform your decision-making on the player?
GB: “Well, they advocate for their player – as I think they should – everyday. Quite frankly, they know him better than I do. It’s nice to hear their opinion of them but I think the other side of it is when I explain to them the reason why we’re not taking him, they can understand that with the messaging of it to Brandon. And I reached out to him, to Brandon myself, and told him the reason why. I wanted to let him know that a lot of things can happen between now and the World Cup and to just keep working, stay focused on the day-to-day, and get better everyday.”
Enquirer: I appreciate that it’s hard for the person in your position to comment on specific clubs and individuals but maybe you could comment on how you feel Chris Albright and Pat Noonan have done in their jobs at FC Cincinnati so far?
GB: "It is difficult to comment on colleagues. What I’d say is when you have a project like that, you just want to see – people need to feel progress. People need to feel that things are getting better. That’s a big motivator. Without progress, it’s hard to continue motivating people. The club has definitely made progress under Chris and Pat – on the field, off the field. It’s clear to see that the team is making progress. Now, the next step is making the playoffs and taking that next step to say ‘OK, now we’ve made it all the way.’ And that will be important for the club."
Enquirer: I’d like to ask you about your job now and how you perceive it now versus prior to qualifying (for the World Cup) because there was so much pressure on qualifying after missing the World Cup in 2018. You’re there now, so how has your sense of what the job is now compared to before you qualified changed?
GB: “I think we know international soccer a lot better. That was a process of developing as coaches as well when you look at 2021 – having the most wins in U.S. Soccer history (in a single year), winning two titles, qualifying for the World Cup with the youngest team in the history of the U.S. There’s a lot to be proud of but, you know, we’re not going to the World Cup to be participants. We’re going to the World Cup to perform really well and that’s the focus now. Whatever happened in the past is done and we’re moving on. We’re trying to build a team that can compete in the World Cup.”
Enquirer: We talk about positional needs in your team. Where do you feel the greatest area of need is in this team right now?
GB: “We are targeting specific areas that we want to improve in but positionally, the beauty of the national team is you’re only really as good as your last game. It’s so competitive at this level and so players that are considered shoe-ins one day aren’t considered a month later. That happens. Look at history. That’s how it’s been. So, for all of us it’s understanding the intensity that’s needed to compete at this level, the consistency that’s needed to stay at this level and really performing well each and every opportunity you get as a player.”
Enquirer: With Zack Steffen pulling out of this camp for family reasons, does that make it harder to make some determinations at the goalkeeping position and kind of kick the can down the road to the September international window when you might next get a chance to see him?
GB: “I don’t think so. We have Ethan Horvath, who just got promoted to the (English) Premier League, on this squad. Matt Turner’s going to Arsenal and Sean Johnson’s been one of the best goalkeepers in MLS this season already. That, to me, is a good problem to have with those guys in camp and doing well. It’s always about the next-man-up mentality. That’s what it’s been all throughout qualifying and that’s what it will be in this camp.”
Enquirer: Let’s fast forward to around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night. The Morocco match has just ended. What would are you looking for in terms of individual and collective outcomes, and what will make you feel good going out to Kansas City (to face Uruguay on Saturday)?
GB: “At this level, it’s about winning games. We know that Morocco is a good opponent. They have high-level players. We know they’ll be participating in the World Cup, so it’s a good measuring stick for us and we want to win the game. Some guys will get opportunities to show themselves and they’ll be making a case to be part of the program and it’ll all be exciting. Ideally, we have a great crowd and we win the game and we look to Kansas City and play a strong Uruguay team.”
The Enquirer's questions and promwere edited for clarity and brevity while Berhalter's responses are quoted verbatim.
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