I know he wasn't being serious but I did chuckle when Rob Stone mentioned Klopp or Pep as possible replacements for Berhalter.
Euros and Copa America 2024 soccer thread
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
I was hoping that tweet led to a “Berhalter has been fired” link, but I’ll keep hoping I see that sometime this week.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
I know people will mention those names, whether serious and uninformed or joking like Rob Stone was.
International management really isn’t about those flashy names. When you look at the international landscape, there are very few big names like that. Lionel Scaloni was hired because of his upbringing in the Argentina youth coaching system and because he had a good relationship with Messi. However, he’s proven himself to be very good at putting the pieces together.
I know this will absolutely not be a sexy name, but I think the US needs to consider someone like Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer. He’s been successful in knockout events before, and he has had a knack for figuring out how to take what’s given to him and get the team to play more than the sum of its parts. Sure, the casual fans will go nuts. But that type of skill set is what we need in the US program. We’re at the point where most players are at clubs with defined identities. It’s hard to tell these players “no matter what, this is how we’re playing”.
The most overachieving team at the Euros-Switzerland-has been doing this all tournament.
Am I wrong in thinking that the Friday quarterfinal matchups in the Euros are going to be the more marquee ones?
Bracket for the knockout stage in Copa America:
Argentina/Ecuador
Venezuela/Canada
Uruguay/Brazil
Colombia/Panama
Tournament resumes Thursday night with Argentina/Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Argentina/Ecuador
Venezuela/Canada
Uruguay/Brazil
Colombia/Panama
Tournament resumes Thursday night with Argentina/Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston.
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
While the Friday Euro games have the marquee names, I’m actually more intrigued by the Saturday games. Switzerland has been the most impressive team relative to expectations, and Turkey isn’t far behind. A Turkey-Switzerland semi is a very real possibility, and I’d like to see that. Plus, it wouldn’t be a major tournament without the usual drama and teeth-gnashing from England.