The Berhalter Continuation

On This Day in 2023, the Former Manager Makes His Return in Friendlies Victories Over Uzbekistan and Oman

The familiar silhouette on the sideline at CityPark in St. Louis carried weight beyond its physical presence. After eight months of uncertainty, investigation and public drama that had threatened to derail American soccer's momentum, Gregg Berhalter stood where he belonged—orchestrating the movements of players who had never stopped believing in the project he had started. The 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan on September 9 represented more than just a win in a meaningless friendly; it was the restoration of continuity to a program that had learned to thrive despite the chaos swirling around its leadership.

The margin of victory against the 74th-ranked Central Asian visitors flattered the Americans in ways that mattered less than the underlying currents. Tim Weah's fourth-minute strike, a clinical finish that continued his remarkable streak of scoring against opponents from every continent, provided early validation that the core group remained sharp despite the coaching carousel. Yet the performance itself revealed rust and disconnection—the inevitable byproducts of a summer spent under interim management, no matter how capable B.J. Callaghan had proven himself to be.

More telling were the moments of vulnerability that punctuated the afternoon. Matt Turner's crossbar-rattling save from Khojiakbar Alidzhanov's long-range effort, the goalkeeper's crucial intervention when Eldor Shomurodov was gifted possession by Tim Ream's casual turnover—these were the kinds of lapses that had been coached out of this group during Berhalter's original tenure. The message was clear: talent alone would not carry the Americans through the challenges that lay ahead. The systematic approach that had elevated this collection of players from World Cup absentees to Round of 16 participants needed immediate restoration.

The substitution patterns told their own story. Ricardo Pepi's second-half introduction for Folarin Balogun spoke to practical concerns about fitness and form, but also hinted at the competitive dynamics that could define the next two and a half years. Berhalter's striker rotation had been one of his greatest challenges during the Qatar campaign, cycling through options without finding a definitive answer. Now, with Balogun's Arsenal departure to Monaco still fresh and Pepi's PSV stint providing European seasoning, the competition carried renewed urgency. Christian Pulisic's penalty conversion in stoppage time—his 26th international goal in his 50th start—reminded everyone present why some positions never truly come up for debate.

Three days later, under the dramatically different circumstances of a mild September 12 evening in St. Paul, the American project began to reveal its restored potential at the Allianz Field. This was the same venue where the Americans had endured sub-zero conditions to defeat Honduras in World Cup qualifying, where Turner had worn tights and kept hot tea in his goal while Honduran players succumbed to hypothermia. Now, with temperatures hovering around 58 degrees, the conditions allowed for the kind of flowing football that showcased why this group had captured imaginations during their World Cup run.

The opening goal arrived with the kind of intricate build-up play that Berhalter had spent years drilling into his players. Weah's cross-field pass found its target in Weston McKennie, whose technical brilliance in tight spaces created the space for a delivery that Sergiño Dest could only dream of receiving. The right-back's thunderous effort from the edge of the penalty area forced Ibrahim Al Mukhaini into a parried save that left Balogun with the simplest of finishes. 

Brenden Aaronson's free-kick goal 27 minutes into the second half demonstrated another dimension of the team's evolution. The Union Berlin winger had emerged as one of the breakthrough performers of the Berhalter era, his pressing intensity and creative spark providing the kind of tactical flexibility that distinguished elite international teams from merely talented ones. His strike through a disintegrating Omani wall spoke to both technical ability and the growing confidence of players who understood their roles within a larger system.

Pepi's goal in the 79th minute carried particular significance in the context of the striker competition that would define squad selection over the coming months. His first touch to control DeJuan Jones's cross, followed by the decisive finish from just inside the penalty area, represented the kind of predatory instincts that had made him such an exciting prospect before his World Cup omission. This was his sixth goal in six appearances during 2023, a statistic that spoke to rediscovered form and renewed confidence in the international arena.

The fourth goal, an own goal deflected in by Khalid Al-Braiki after Kevin Paredes's cross, provided a debut moment for the 20-year-old Wolfsburg defender while underlining the systematic pressure that had characterized the Americans' second-half performance. Paredes became the 59th player to earn his first cap under Berhalter, a number that reflected both the coach's commitment to expanding the player pool and the depth that American soccer had developed during his tenure.

Berhalter's return represented resolution of a crisis that had threatened to derail the most promising period in American men's soccer history. The investigation into his 1992 domestic violence incident, triggered by the Reyna family following post-World Cup drama, had created months of uncertainty. Yet the core group's response was unambiguous—Turner's comments about solid communication lines and Pulisic's emphasis on team chemistry reflected genuine support from players who understood what Berhalter's systematic approach had accomplished.

The Gio Reyna situation remained delicate, with the Borussia Dortmund star absent while recovering from injury. Berhalter's careful comments about timing and sensitivity suggested reconciliation remained possible, but would require careful management to avoid further disruption.

Looking ahead, October friendlies against Germany and Ghana would provide sterner tests, while November's CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals would carry Copa América qualifying stakes. The striker competition between Balogun and Pepi would remain central to American hopes, with both players showing the clinical finishing that had long been absent from American soccer.

These September friendlies represented more than successful results against overmatched opposition. They were the first steps in a renewed journey toward World Cup success on home soil, validation that the foundation built during Berhalter's first tenure remained solid despite months of uncertainty. The American project, temporarily disrupted but never abandoned, was ready to resume its trajectory toward 2026.