Clint Dempsey Is Right: USMNT Bringing Back Gregg Berhalter As Manager Is Giant Waste Of Time

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Shortly before the thrilling and controversial match between the USMNT and Mexico kicked off on Thursday night, a report from The Athletic indicated that Gregg Berhalter would be returning as manager of the American side. To say that decision is surprising would be an understatement.

While Berhalter was able to lead the USMNT out of the group stage during the 2022 World Cup, he was on thin ice among many American supporters. That ice became paper thin shortly after the U.S. fell to the Netherlands.

The 49-year-old was caught in the middle of a nasty feud with Gio Reyna, arguably the USMNT's best young prospect, and Reyna's family. Berhalter got ahead of what was then a pending investigation into an altercation involving him and his wife when they were teenagers only dating.

The manager admitted that he got into a heated argument outside of a bar when he was 18, which "became physical" with his now-wife Rosalind. Berhalter explained that he "kicked her in the legs" outside of the bar over 30 years ago.

It took U.S. Soccer all of 15 minutes after Berhalter's statement to issue a statement of its own explaining that it had learned of the allegations on December 11, 2022 and immediately hired a firm to conduct an independent investigation. Berhalter stepped aside and the USMNT has been coached by a number of interims since.

For all intents and purposes, Berhalter was out and the USMNT was looking to make a splash with a new manager with the 2026 World Cup hosted in North America on the horizon. A global search was underway for months, yet Berhalter is reportedly returning to his post.

Clint Dempsey, an American soccer legend, spoke out about the report prior to the USA-Mexico match on Thursday calling the entire thing a "waste of time."

Gregg Berhalter Returning As USMNT Manger Is A Waste Of Time Now And In The Future

U.S. Soccer taking months to find someone fit for the job only to give Berhalter another chance is quite literally a waste of time, but it's likely a waste of time for the future as well.

Berhalter has shown nothing during his four-and-a-half-year tenure as the USMNT manager that he has what it takes to take an American team to new heights. He was out-managed by Holland's Louis van Gaal at the World Cup and hasn't provided a spark to the USMNT in any meaningful game since taking the job.

While Christian Pulisic recently gave Berhalter a vote of confidence, that's not to say everyone in the locker room feels the same way. Many players on the USMNT roster had to have reached a headspace that did not include being managed by Berhalter ever again, but all of a sudden they have to run it back?

It's an odd decision with the 2026 World Cup, the biggest event in American soccer history, looming in less than three years' time.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.