Gregg Berhalter Officially Named US Men's National Team Head Coach

U.S. Soccer officially named Gregg Berhalter as the new head coach of the men's national team, bringing an end to the search for a successor to Bruce Arena.

The long-awaited move was made official on Sunday:

According to a press release, the vote to elect Berhalter took place on Saturday and was unanimous. His official introduction is scheduled for Tuesday.

U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro approved of the choice, saying:

"We are excited to announce Gregg as the next head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. As an experienced former National Team player and highly regarded professional coach, we are confident he is the best person to guide our program forward. We are looking forward to formally introducing him on Tuesday in New York."

Last month, Doug McIntyre of Yahoo Sports reported Berhalter, 45, had long been the favourite for the job. Former FC Dallas manager Oscar Pareja reportedly also interviewed for the job, and Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated reported former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui reached out to U.S. Soccer.

Lopetegui's agent denied the report to Adriana Garcia of ESPN FC, but Wahl countered:

The Stars and Stripes had been without a permanent head coach for well over a year, with Arena departing after a 2-1 loss at Trinidad and Tobago that denied the team a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Dave Sarachan served as the interim head coach in the meantime.

The search was a constant source of frustration for fans and pundits alike, and Wahl noted that puts plenty of pressure on Berhalter right out of the gate:

A former U.S. international, Berhalter took charge of Columbus Crew in 2013 and guided the team to four play-off appearances, including one trip to the MLS Cup final.

He's seen as one of the brightest young coaching talents in the United States, which should help him fit in with the team. The Americans are filled with budding stars like Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie and Josh Sargent, but their form has been a major issue. The side has won just a single match since May.