12:47 PM ET
Sam BordenESPN Senior Writer
- Sam Borden is simply a elder writer for ESPN.com.
DOHA, Qatar -- Eight years ago, Jurgen Klinsmann famously said it was intolerable for his U.S. men's nationalist team to triumph the World Cup successful Brazil. He said it to maine successful an extended interrogation for The New York Times Magazine a fewer months earlier the tournament, past doubled down connected it successful a property league successful Sao Paulo conscionable earlier the U.S. opener. Klinsmann felt it was important to beryllium blunt, but galore American fans -- and immoderate of Klinsmann's ain players -- were troubled by what felt similar a defeatist attitude.
On Saturday, successful an exclusive interrogation with ESPN 2 days earlier his U.S. squad opens the World Cup, caput manager Gregg Berhalter considered the aforesaid question. He paused, conscionable a for a moment, past smiled.
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"What I bash believe," helium said, "is that connected our champion time we tin bushed anyone successful the world. Anyone."
That's the mentality Berhalter has ingrained successful his young team, pushing them to clasp the thought that the lone mode they'll marque past is if they judge they can. To assistance beforehand that mode of thinking, Berhalter precocious organized a squad gathering successful which Eric Thomas, a fashionable motivational talker with a singular idiosyncratic communicative of rising up from homelessness, talked with the players astir the unthinkable powerfulness of belief.
And portion Berhalter, a well-known sneakerhead, said helium hasn't yet picked which shoes he'll deterioration to the U.S.'s archetypal lucifer against Wales, erstwhile asked however galore pairs he'd brought with him to Qatar, helium didn't hesitate: seven, 1 for each imaginable crippled done to the final.
"Look, it is simply a large grant to play successful the World Cup, but we don't privation to conscionable beryllium participants," Berhalter said. "We privation to perform."
To beryllium clear: Berhalter isn't predicting the U.S. volition beryllium champions. He's simply focusing connected the conception that occurrence seldom comes without conviction. That was thing Berhalter learned archetypal arsenic an planetary subordinate and present works to instill arsenic a manager.
After all, this is -- by immoderate region -- the biggest signifier Berhalter has been connected arsenic a coach. He took implicit 4 years ago, charged with restoring the U.S. to respectability aft the disastrous nonaccomplishment of the 2018 qualifying cycle. At a minimum, helium has done that, overseeing a generational overhaul of the U.S. squad that included the recruitment of star-level dual nationals similar Yunus Musah and Timothy Weah, and the elevation of talented prodigies similar Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.
Berhalter, though, wants more. His mentation for these adjacent 3 games has ramped up successful strength implicit the past week, arsenic helium and his coaching unit pushed each different to effort and see each imaginable script they mightiness brushwood during 1 of the radical signifier matches.
If that sounds exhaustive, that's due to the fact that it is; Berhalter is known for his bent toward information and analytics, and helium is determined to hole for immoderate absorption a U.S. crippled mightiness go.
What volition the U.S. bash if they're up a goal? Down a goal? Down two? Up a man? Down a man? How volition they grip it if 1 of their players gets injured? What if the opposing prima goes down early? Berhalter wants to person a program for each of them. The script that astir concerns him? The 1 helium hasn't thought of up of time.
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ESPN's Herculez Gomez considers Gregg Berhalter's options if Sergino Dest isn't acceptable for USMNT's opener vs. Wales.
"We person the clip now, we've had the clip for the past mates months," helium said. "When you're connected the tract and the sideline and the assemblage is large and there's unit moments -- if you're not prepared, I deliberation it hurts decision-making."
Berhalter knows determination volition beryllium challenges. There are missing first-choice players retired due to the fact that of injury. There are utmost temperatures and precise precocious kickoff times and 3 Group B opponents (England, Wales, Iran) with important pedigree and experience. There are nary pushovers, nary matches successful which the U.S. is simply a important favorite.
But determination is besides determination. There volition beryllium thousands of U.S. fans supporting the squad successful Qatar. There volition beryllium millions much watching and hoping backmost successful the United States. There volition beryllium that youthful premix of precociousness and pluck which can, yes, sometimes pb to naïve performances but tin besides alteration into magic.
Berhalter's occupation is to lead. To inspire. To enactment his players successful a presumption wherever they mightiness find their champion selves erstwhile it matters most. The travel begins Monday. And dissimilar his predecessor, Berhalter doesn't yet cognize wherever it volition end.
"We deliberation the archetypal measurement is getting retired of the group," helium said. "And the 2nd measurement is, successful the knockout games, playing our champion imaginable crippled and seeing however acold we tin go."
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