USMNT legend Clint Dempsey has let rip at Gregg Berhalter and his struggling team, and insists they are wasting their ‘golden generation’ ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The US were dumped out of Copa America in the group stages on Monday night, after limping to a 1-0 defeat by already-qualified Uruguay at Arrowhead.
The result has left Gregg Berhalter’s future in serious doubt, and FOX Sports analyst and USMNT icon Dempsey did not hold back in his criticism.
‘I’m at a loss for words, it’s so frustrating,’ he said post-game on FS1’s coverage. ‘You have a team that you’re rooting on and you want to do well… but where have we come since 2022?
‘You qualify for the World Cup, get out of the group… and where have we progressed? We haven’t. That’s the most frustrating part.
Clint Dempsey didn’t hold back in his assessment of the US Men’s National Team on Monday
Fans made their feelings clear about the future of Gregg Berhalter from the stands in Kansas
‘This is our golden generation and it looks like we’re wasting it. 2026 is coming up, you’re never going to get this opportunity again. ’94 we had it, we’re going to have it here, but then you don’t know when that next time is going to come.’
Alongside him, Alexi Lalas also weighed in and slammed manager Berhalter after another poor showing.
‘If this is as good as it gets, it’s not good enough,’ the ex-USA midfielder said. ‘This is not good enough from Gregg Berhalter… we can’t afford to be embarrassed, and we can’t afford to arrive in the summer of 2026 with a team that has not progressed, that has not evolved, and has not improved.
Alongside Dempsey, fellow US Soccer legends Carli Lloyd and Alexi Lalas gave their thoughts
Emotions ran high during the game; pictured, Christian Pulisic screams in the referee’s face
‘I’m sure if Gregg Berhalter was here, he would say, “Oh but you don’t see what’s happening inside.” I don’t give a CRAP what’s happening inside. I don’t care about the dynamic, I don’t care how much your players love you.’
In front of a 55,000-strong crowd in Kansas City, Mathias Olivera scored the only goal of the game on 66 minutes, silencing the partisan home fans.
By the end of the game, Panama’s 3-1 win over Bolivia left the US needing to score twice, and they bombed out of the competition at the first hurdle.
It is now just two years until the US host the World Cup on home soil, but a woeful display in this summer’s Copa America has left them way off target.
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