There is no telling when the cries for a new United States Men's National Team manager will end, but expect them to continue as long as Gregg Berhalter remains at the helm. Following a group stage exit for the USMNT in the Copa America, capped with an embarrassing display against Uruguay, it's hard to argue against replacing Berhalter.
There have been calls for the USMNT to go for a home run hire and try to court a big name like former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp or Manchester City skipper Pep Guardiola. While those may sound like pipedreams – and maybe that's what the team needs – perhaps they're not as hard to attain as one might think.
That's at least the mindset of former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, who believes he can convince Klopp to take the job. Howard pitched his idea in an article written for the Daily Mail.
“I am willing to help my country in any way I can. Proud to serve. So if I was in charge of US Soccer right now, I'd be on my way to the airport,” Howard wrote. “Why? Because I believe I could make a very compelling argument to Jurgen Klopp to take over the US Men’s National Team.
“After the disappointment of Copa America, after the United States lost to Uruguay and exited at the group stages, I will personally fly to Spain. I mean it.”
Klopp is spending time in Spain after he left Liverpool at the conclusion of the domestic season. Barely a month removed from his last day in charge, would Klopp want to come out of retirement so quickly and take over the USMNT project? It's probably hard for some people to fathom, but Howard makes a solid argument as to why it would be appealing to Klopp.
Tim Howard's USMNT pitch to Jurgen Klopp
Although the USMNT's morale is fairly low at the moment, there is still some appeal to the job should the federation decide to move on from Berhalter. With less than two years until the 2026 World Cup, US Soccer has to make sure they trust the person leading the squad on the pitch.
Tim Howard thinks that Klopp, or any coach for that matter, would be intrigued by the USMNT managerial job because of money and the soft schedule leading up to the World Cup in 2026. The US does not have to go through qualifying as they automatically reach the tournament as a host. Mexico and Canada will join them, making up three of the 48 teams who will play in the tournament.
Being a national team coach does not take as much dedication as a club manager does, although Klopp would no doubt take his job seriously. Living in a place of his choice in the United States doesn’t sound like a bad gig either.
There is a caveat that comes with the job though. Failure to put on a good performance at the 2026 World Cup will lead to contract termination. Getting out of the group is a must, but the USMNT would certainly like to win a game or two in the knockout stages to make a statement as a host country and show some improvement.
They have the talent to make some noise at a major tournament, but a lack of effort in crucial matches/moments from the players and some questionable decisions from Gregg Berhalter led to their downfall at the Copa America.
Maybe a coach like Jurgen Klopp shouldn’t be needed to get the best out of the USMNT's ‘golden generation,' but would it hurt to hire a manager of his caliber? Something has to change for US Soccer. It could start with a move like this.
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