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Former USMNT star throws Gregg Berhalter under the bus
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- Former USMNT star throws Gregg Berhalter under the bus
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Gregg Berhalter was manager of the USMNT from 2018 to 2024, and a lot of that was messy. From missing the World Cup in 2018 to weathering a blackmail scandal led by the parents of one of his best players, there was rarely a dull moment with Berhalter in charge. Because of that, it should come as no surprise that the end of star striker Jozy Altidore 's tenure with the USMNT was messy, too, and he blames the manager .
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"It was really difficult, 2022, because of the conversations I had with Gregg Berhalter," Altidore said about not making the USMNT ahead of the 2022 World Cup. "I just felt, in that moment, it wasn't the most professional. … It was really difficult to just, one day be there, you're in constant conversation, and then all of a sudden, nothing."
Altidore seemed to chalk up his lack of inclusion to the fact that he was a key part of the 2018 USMNT that lost to Trinidad and Tobago, thus missing out on the Russia-based tournament.
"I know we didn't qualify for the World Cup. I'm very aware of that. I still feel like there was something I could've offered to that group," Altidore continued. "I thought I connected with Christian [ Pulisic ] on the pitch as well as I connected with anybody. I was really excited to hopefully be a part of things. But [Gregg Berhalter] had other plans."
Berhalter's 2022 USMNT reached the Round of 16 at that World Cup but lost to the Netherlands . The team scored just three goals over the course of that tournament, so it's fair to wonder whether Altidore would have made a difference. The then-32-year-old hitman has 115 caps for the national team and, with 42 goals, is the third-leading scorer in USMNT history, only behind Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey (tied at 53).
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