USMNT legend Clint Dempsey has slammed Gregg Berhalter and his ailing team, insisting they are squandering their “golden generation” ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The United States was eliminated from the Copa America in the group stage on Monday night after suffering a 1-0 loss to already-qualified Uruguay at Arrowhead.
The result has left Gregg Berhalter’s future in serious doubt, and FOX Sports analyst and USMNT icon Dempsey didn’t hold back in his criticism.
“I have no words, it’s very frustrating,” he said after the match on FS1’s coverage. “You have a team that you are supporting and want to do well… but where have we gotten to since 2022?
‘You qualify for the World Cup, you get out of the group… and where have we advanced? We haven’t advanced. That’s the most frustrating part.
Clint Dempsey didn’t hold back in his assessment of the U.S. Men’s National Team on Monday
Fans made their feelings about Gregg Berhalter’s future clear from the stands in Kansas
‘This is our golden generation and it seems like we are wasting it. 2026 is approaching and we will never have this opportunity again. We had it in 1994 and we will have it here, but you never know when the next time will come.’
Alongside him, Alexi Lalas also intervened and criticised coach Berhalter after another poor performance.
“If this is the best it can get, it’s not good enough,” the former United States midfielder said. “This is not good enough from Gregg Berhalter… we can’t afford to be embarrassed and we can’t afford to go into the summer of 2026 with a team that hasn’t progressed, that hasn’t evolved and that hasn’t improved.
Joining Dempsey were American soccer legends Carli Lloyd and Alexi Lalas.
Emotions were running high during the match; in the image, Christian Pulisic screams in the referee’s face
“I’m sure if Gregg Berhalter was here, he’d say, ‘But you don’t see what’s going on inside.’ I don’t give a shit what’s going on inside. I don’t care about the dynamics, I don’t care how much your players love you.”
In front of a crowd of 55,000 in Kansas City, Mathias Olivera scored the only goal of the game in the 66th minute, silencing the home fans.
At the end of the match, Panama’s 3-1 victory over Bolivia left the United States needing to score twice and they were eliminated from the competition at the first hurdle.
The United States is just two years away from hosting the World Cup on home soil, but a dismal showing at this summer’s Copa America has left them far short of that goal.
