Berhalter hired as US soccer coach after World Cup failure

Gregg Berhalter was hired Sunday to coach the U.S. men’s national team, making him the first person to run the Americans after playing for them at the World Cup. Berhalter, who spent the past five seasons as coach of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, represents a generational change for an American team staggered by its failure to reach this year’s World Cup after seven straight appearances at soccer’s showcase. A native of Englewood, New Jersey, Berhalter grew up in Tenafly and played alongside future U.S. captain Claudio Reyna at Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark. Berhalter’s Columbus teams succeeded despite one of the league’s lowest payrolls. “They try to keep the ball. He’s got idea and a style of play that they stick to,” U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “That guidance will be important going forward.” The 45-year-old was long viewed as the front-runner for a job that stayed open for nearly 14 months. He is the second youngest coach for the Americans in four decades; Steve Sampson was 38 when he took over in 1995. “He is a coach that is learning at all times,” said U.S. general manager Earnie Stewart, who made the decision approved Saturday by the U.S. Soccer Federation board of directors. “Every single day he tries to develop himself so he can be a better leader for the team that he has. That is something that really stood out with Gregg and went a long way in the decision to offer him the job.” Berhalter is a godson of baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. His 47-year-old brother, Jay, is the U.S. Soccer Federation’s chief commercial and strategy officer. A defender who made 44 appearances for the U.S. from 1994-06, Gregg Berhalter started on the left side of a three-man back line in the 2002 knockout stage matches against Mexico and Germany after Jeff Agoos got hurt and U.S. coach Bruce Arena changed formation. In the 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany, Berhalter’s 49th-minute shot bounced off goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and the left arm of German defender Torsten Frings, but Scottish referee Hugh Dallas did not award a penalty kick. Ten minutes earlier, Michael Ballack outjumped Berhalter and Tony Sanneh to head Christian Ziege’s free kick past Brad Friedel. Berhalter was a late addition to the 2006 World Cup roster after Cory Gibbs injured a knee in a pre-tournament exhibition against Morocco, but Berhalter did not get into a World Cup match that year. He also was on the roster for the 1995 Copa America, 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 1999 and 2003 Confederations Cups. He played college soccer at North Carolina. Months after the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, Belhalter made his national team debut that October in an exhibition at Saudi Arabia. Berhalter played at the club level with Zwolle (1994-96), Sparta Rotterdam (199698), Cambuur Leeuwarden (1998-00), Crystal Palace (2001-02), Energie Cottbus (2002-06), 1860 Munich (2006-09) and the LA Galaxy (2009-11).