Gregg Berhalter ‘saddened’ by revelations but hopes to continue as US head coach amid investigation

Gregg Berhalter hopes to stay on as United States men’s head coach but says he has been “saddened” by the emergence of information that he kicked his wife during an argument in 1991.

The investigation was triggered by information which was shared with US Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart during the 2022 World Cup by Gio Reyna’s mother.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Reyna was expected to play an important role for the US in Qatar but ended up not starting a game.

“Our entire family is saddened by these events,” Berhalter told the Harvard Business Review.

“I think the worst part of it for me is my heart aches for my wife, because it was her story to tell, if she chose to or not. It just really, really saddens me.

“But it’s moving forward and that’s the way we have to look at it together as a family. The family’s been amazing and has taken it one day at a time and moving forward.”

The incident between Berhalter and his wife Rosalind happened at the University of North Carolina when he was 18 years old.

Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of December and current assistant coach Anthony Hudson will lead the team while a “technical review” is carried out.

USA made the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup and will host the 2026 tournament along with Mexico and Canada.

Berhalter says he would like to continue as head coach.

He said: “It’s a fantastic group of players, super high potential in this group…it would be an amazing challenge for this team [competing in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada].

“When we started in 2018, we wanted to change the way the world views American soccer. I think when you ask around the world now about our team, the world sees us in a completely different light.

“But now it’s about being able to take that next step and that next step is doing something that no US team has ever done, and that’s get to the semi-finals and see what happens from there. There’s a lot of great challenges involved, and of course I’d like to continue in my role.”

The friction between Berhalter and Reyna came to light after the World Cup when the former spoke at a leadership conference.

Without naming Reyna, Berhalter told how he had nearly had to send a player home from Qatar.

It was reported that the reason Berhalter considered the move was because of a lack of effort in training from Reyna.

Asked if he had any regrets with how he handled the situation, Berhalter said: “We’re always looking to improve…if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have told that story.”

He added: “Trust is something that takes a long time to build but can go away really quickly.

“You have to be consistent in who you are, and you have to have clear values. And if you are they can see that.

“My bond with the players is very strong and it’s about maintaining that bond. And I think the players and the staff know who I am and what I stand for.”