MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Y'all, it is almost here. The FIFA men's World Cup kicks off tomorrow. Forty-eight teams competing in 104 matches played over the next six weeks in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Now, if you, like me, are tracking the chances for the U.S. team, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who knows that team from more angles than Gregg Berhalter. He is the first man in U.S. history to participate in the FIFA World Cup as both a player and head coach. And, oh, by the way, this time he is also a proud dad. His son, Sebastian, is on the U.S. roster. Gregg Berhalter is in our New York bureau. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
GREGG BERHALTER: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
KELLY: All right, let's get right into it. First U.S. match is Friday against Paraguay. What are you watching for?
BERHALTER: So that's a great question. You know, really, how the U.S. comes out. Do they come out nervous? Are they tentative, or do they come out with energy, with speed and really take the game to Paraguay?
KELLY: So it's, what, like, the first minute, first five minutes where you know how this might go?
BERHALTER: Exactly. The first couple of minutes of the game, I think, will be important. And then, you know, who plays, right? Because there are a couple question marks still in the lineup and trying to figure out exactly, you know, the personnel they're going to have. But really, it's the mindset of, you know, how's this group coming out?
KELLY: Got it. How many players on the current team have you coached?
BERHALTER: Oh, I'd probably say about 20.
KELLY: Wow.
BERHALTER: Yeah, probably 20 of them.
KELLY: Yeah.
BERHALTER: And what we're looking at is, you know, this is actually a great time for the players because they're - they've advanced in their careers. I think they're more mature as humans - right? - going from your early 20s now to your mid- to late 20s. They have experience of playing in a World Cup, and it's a home World Cup, so this is actually a perfect storm for this group of players.
KELLY: So I want to look at some of the challenges and opportunities with this World Cup that's about to kick off. We had Tim Ream, U.S. defender Tim Ream, on this program not long ago. And we were asking about the pressure of playing for the U.S., that the team, like all the other teams coming, is hoping to play well, hoping to win. But also, all this pressure. We also need to spur a new level of growth and interest in American soccer. Do you feel that? Did you feel that when you were head coach?
BERHALTER: You know, I felt like we were building towards a moment, an inflection point in 2026. So 2022 was setting up 2026.
KELLY: OK.
BERHALTER: But, you know, now that I have a chance to look at it, you know, I don't think it's as critical. And the reason why I'm saying that is because 1994 was a moment, right? We hosted the World Cup. We made a promise to the world about the league we're going to develop. And now I look 32 years later, and I see Major League Soccer, how established it is. It now has 30 teams. It has arguably the world's best player ever in the history of soccer. It has, you know...
KELLY: You're talking Messi.
BERHALTER: Yes, Messi. It has 26 or 25 soccer-specific stadiums. It has training grounds. I mean, soccer is here to stay. Major League Soccer has done a great job of developing the league over the past 30 years. And then youth development. You know, I look at the players that we've been able to develop. Nineteen of this roster came from Major League Soccer's academies. So we're - you know, Major League Soccer is doing its job. Soccer is growing. So, you know, it's a long way to say, I don't think our performance is as critical as it was back then.
KELLY: You feel like U.S. soccer has proven what it came to prove. Not much left to prove. But can I press you on that? Because Lionel Messi, who I think many people would agree may be, you know, the greatest if not - maybe the greatest soccer player in history. But he's here in his twilight years playing in the U.S. after a long career in Europe. And I'm guessing if you are a 16-year-old kid who's really good and really ambitious, the dream is still to play overseas, right? Why?
BERHALTER: Absolutely. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You know, for us to be a developmental league does not mean that we're not a good league. And I think that, you know, you have to remember, Messi is in his twilight, but he's also still playing for the Argentina national team that's hoping to win the World Cup. So he's still playing at a very high level both in Major League Soccer and internationally. And I think that, you know, our job as MLS clubs is to continue to develop our players and not take it personally if they - you know, if they go on to play in better leagues because that's what is happening all around the world.
KELLY: You are rooting for the whole U.S. team, I assume, but maybe just a smidge more for one player in particular. I mentioned your son, Sebastian, is on the team. Midfielder, is that right?
BERHALTER: That's correct.
KELLY: Yeah. What kind of conversations are y'all having?
BERHALTER: Supportive. You know, he got to this point. And now it's about, you know, continued belief, confidence. And enjoy it and focus. You know, the one thing I told him before he left was, like, this is a moment that you're going to remember forever, the rest of your life. But also, you know, stay in the moment. Say present in the moment. Stay focused in the moment because you need that focus. You need that concentration to be able to perform at your best.
KELLY: So I want to dig in on that just a little bit. I am a soccer mom. I'm not quite at your level of soccer dad-ness, but two boys who went all the way through their varsity high school programs. And I'm guessing I'm not alone among parents out there who may be listening, wondering, how do I help my kid, A, get better, and B, love this game and hopefully love it their whole life? How did you approach that with Sebastian?
BERHALTER: You know, my wife also played soccer. She won four national championships in North Carolina. And so we're a soccer family. And, you know, for us, it was never pushing it on him. It was always just guiding him. But we never forced him to do anything. We made it very much on his terms. You know, I remember when he was a young academy kid in Columbus Crew. I was the coach there. You know, he would train from, say, 5:30 to 7:30, come home, eat a quick dinner, and go down in the basement and hit the ball against the wall for another hour and a half before he went to bed at 10. I mean, it never stopped with him.
KELLY: Your family must have gone through a lot of soccer balls...
BERHALTER: Yes, yes.
KELLY: ...(Laughter) over the years. I'm picturing your garage.
BERHALTER: Yes.
KELLY: So how do you hope we will remember these 2026 games?
BERHALTER: I hope that America really embraces the celebration of a World Cup and the celebration of soccer throughout this month. You know, we're going to be hosting so many different nations. We get to show them, you know, the best part of America. We get to show them our land, our country, how we do sporting events.
And then from a team performance standpoint, I hope we remember this as the best World Cup ever. You know, the team is ready, the team is prepared, the players have the experience of a World Cup. And it's on home soil. And for fans, American fans, you know, we get behind our team. And we ride them all the way. And I think that's what I'd love to remember the World Cup by.
KELLY: Gregg Berhalter, former U.S. men's national team player, also former head coach and now soccer dad. Thank you. Happy World Cup.
BERHALTER: Thank you.
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