Sullivan, 14, is considered future USMNT starExpected to join City at 18 in pre-arranged transfer Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to appear in an MLS match, Tai Baribo had his first career hat trick and Kai Wagner added three assists to help the Philadelphia Union end a 10-match winless streak with a 5-1 romp over the New England Revolution on Wednesday night. Sullivan – at 14 years, 293 days – replaced Baribo in the 85th minute, topping the record by 13 days. Freddy Adu set the previous mark at 14-306 when he debuted for DC United in 2004. Continue reading...

Bermudez shines in goal as Costa Rica and USWNT draw Emma Hayes’ group open Olympics on 25 July in Nice The heat was on for the US women’s soccer team’s final tune-up before the Paris Olympics, with sweltering temperatures in the air and plenty of chances to score. The goals did not come in a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica on Tuesday night, just the second time – and first since 2015 – the US did not win its last game before a major tournament. But the match showed the Americans could handle the kind of high temperatures that could await later this month. Continue reading...

Gregg Berhalter will not lead the US into their home World Cup in 2026. Here are a few possibilities to succeed him Gregg Berhalter is out. So, who comes next? With a home World Cup looming, US Soccer has some thorny questions to work through. Do they chase someone with experience at the international level or look for a fresh face? Do they look for a big name or someone with domestic credibility? Do they want a hired-gun for one tournament or someone who can build beyond 2026? The decision will sit with technical director Matt Crocker, who, after an exhaustive process in 2023, decided to rehire Berhalter. Oops. Continue reading...

Berhalter spent six years as national team coachThe US lost to Uruguay in Copa quarter-finals Gregg Berhalter was fired as US men’s soccer coach on Wednesday after his team’s first-round exit from Copa América flamed doubts that he was the right person to remain in charge for the 2026 World Cup, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because US Soccer Federation had not yet made the announcement. Berhalter’s second term as coach was cut short 10 months after he returned to the bench with high hopes and proclaimed the team’s goal was “to change soccer in America for ever.” The US had seven wins, six losses and one draw in his second stint, leaving his overall record at 44 wins, 17 losses and 13 draws. Technical director Matt Crocker rehired Berhalter and will also make the recommendation on his replacement. The team next plays in September friendlies against Canada and New Zealand. Jürgen Klopp, Thierry Henry and Marcelo Bielsa are among the candidates being speculated as potential replacements for Berhalter, along with Jesse Marsch, Hugo Pérez, Pellegrino Matarazzo, David Wagner, Steve Cherundolo, Jim Curtain, Massimiliano Allegri and Mauricio Pochettino. Salary could be a problem, though. Berhalter earned $2.2m in 2022, including $900,000 in bonuses for the Americans qualifying for the World Cup and reaching the second round. A top-level men’s coach could put pressure on US Soccer to increase the salary of newly hired women’s coach Emma Hayes. Just 23 months remain before the World Cup comes to the US for the second time and the Americans play their opener at Inglewood, California, on 12 June 2026. The only competitive matches with the full player pool before then likely will be in the Concacaf Nations League. Berhalter was the first American to coach the national team after playing for the team at a World Cup. He was hired to coach the US in December 2018 after stints with Sweden’s Hammarby (2011-13) and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew (2013-18). He led the US to titles in the Concacaf Nations League in 2020, 2023 and 2024 and to another with a B team in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. His players strongly supported Berhalter, saying he fostered a culture that bound the group. That support led to Crocker rehiring Berhalter five months after his initial contract expired amid an investigation of a decades-old domestic violence allegation that was brought to the US Soccer’s attention by the Reyna family, which was upset that Berhalter limited Gio Reyna’s playing time at the World Cup. A law firm retained by US Soccer said there was no legal obstacle to bringing Berhalter back. Continue reading...

After a dismal defeat to Panama, Monday’s game against Uruguay may be the coach’s last chance to save his job It may seem harsh that Gregg Berhalter’s job as USMNT head coach is in acute jeopardy because one of his players decided to smack an opponent in the head. Then again, in the US’s last big tournament test before it co-hosts the 2026 World Cup, a coach expected to reach at least the quarter-finals is staring at a group-stage exit in the Copa América, barring what seems an improbable triumph against one of the favorites, Uruguay, in Kansas City on Monday. Continue reading...

Co-owner denies talks have taken place on overseas gameReports prompted angry responses from Wrexham fans The Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has denied talks have taken place about his team playing a League One fixture against Birmingham in the United States. It was reported on Monday that Birmingham, another club under North American ownership, had asked the English Football League for permission to play the Welsh club in the USA, but that the request had been rejected. Continue reading...

The glossiest jewel of the US’s golden generation continued to deliver as a captain and goalscorer against Bolivia on Sunday night On 28 May 2016, Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to score for the US men’s national team, finding the net in a 4-0 win over Bolivia in a tune-up for the Copa América Centenario. But what happened the night before was, in a quieter way, no less notable. Jürgen Klinsmann, then the US head coach, gave Pulisic permission to attend his high school prom in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the night before the match and the 17-year-old hired a private plane so he could make it back to Kansas City in time for the game. Continue reading...

Christian Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the USMNT cruised past Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa América opener on Sunday night. Against an overmatched, youthful Bolivia side, the US were comfortable winners. Ten of Bolivia’s starters entered the opening game of the tournament with 10 caps or fewer, and an experienced US side wasted no time in showing the gulf in quality. Continue reading...

Group C game in Arlington kicks off at 6pm (ET)Share your thoughts with beau.dure@theguardian.comIs your house divided? Share your Copa drama with us To answer Joe’s question – the roof appears to be closed. The biggest question is probably the playing surface. As they did in Atlanta, the organizers have put natural grass into a place that normally has artificial turf, and that’s sometimes a problem. Continue reading...

The US will kickoff their tournament against Bolivia on Sunday. Here are the players to know, what you should track and how to win kudos at the barUS-based fans: Tell us why you are - or aren’t - rooting for the USMNT So you want to impress your friends during Copa América? We’re helping you stock up on smart observations on the USMNT that will have the group chat showering you with adoration. Or, like, at least a couple of thumbs up emojis. From key players to expectations, you’ll become the expert of your local soccer bar, viewing party, or friend group. Continue reading...

Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic discuss the pressure of a tournament in front of a home crowd and their expectations for this summer “Do you feel pressure?” Tyler Adams asks teammate Weston McKennie. “I don’t feel pressure.” Speaking before the USMNT’s first major tournament on home soil since 2016, McKennie echoes the sentiment of his captain. “I wouldn’t say it’s added pressure, I would say it’s added excitement. We spend our careers playing over in Europe and we come back [to the US] every once in a while with the national team. I think the World Cup and Copa América allow friends and family that maybe haven’t been able to see us play in a long time to watch us, and also fans who can’t get over to Europe to watch a game or to even introduce new people to the game. Continue reading...

With eyes on 2026, Copa América will be a referendum on the team’s head coachReaders respond: tell us which Copa team you’re rooting for Gregg Berhalter’s job, most US men’s national team fans and observers would agree, is on the line. US Soccer hasn’t wavered in its public backing of the 50-year-old, but a poor showing at the 2024 Copa América would surely prompt a rethink. With the World Cup on home soil in two years, there is a bigger picture to consider. For some, not even a strong showing at Copa would be enough to justify Berhalter’s continued employment. There are plenty who have never seen him as the right man for the job. The ‘Berhalter Out’ movement has existed in some form in some corner of the internet for years. Recently, the rhetoric has become louder and more mainstream, but partisanship when it comes to Berhalter has long been an unavoidable part of following the national team. Continue reading...