Berhalter will NOT lead US training camp, Anthony Hudson to step in

BREAKING NEWS: Gregg Berhalter will NOT be in charge of USA for upcoming training camp in California amid stunning World Cup BLACKMAIL plot and ongoing contract negotiations… as team announces Anthony Hudson as temporary head coach

• Gregg Berhlater’s contract as USA head coach expires at the end of last month
• US Soccer confirmed the 49-year-old will not take charge of this month’s camp
• Assistant Anthony Hudson will serve as temporary head coach for the games
• The USMNT will face Serbia and Colombia in two friendlies at the end of January
• It comes a day after Berhalter admitted to ‘kicking his wife’ to quash blackmail
• Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com

Gregg Berhalter will not lead the US Men’s National Team January training camp after US Soccer announced assistant Anthony Hudson will serve as temporary head coach for the two upcoming friendlies.

Hudson will be joined in Los Angeles by fellow World Cup assistant coach B.J. Callaghan and Under-20 Men’s Youth National Team head coach Mikey Varas in selecting and managing the roster for the friendlies against Serbia and Colombia this month. 

The news comes after Berhalter, whose contract as head coach expired at midnight on January 1, was forced to admit to ‘kicking his wife’ in 1991 to quash a reported World Cup blackmail plot, which the US Soccer Federation is investigating. 

Gregg Berhalter will not lead the US Men’s National Team January training camp

US Soccer announced assistant Anthony Hudson will serve as head coach for the friendlies

Berhalter admitted to ‘kicking his wife Rosalind (left) in the legs’ after an argument in 1991. The pair are pictured at Oktoberfest, Munich, in 2006

The US will kick off 2023 and the new World Cup cycle with two matches in Southern California, facing Serbia on January 25 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles and Colombia on January 28 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. 

Hudson, who served as an assistant at the World Cup in Qatar, will step in to take charge in the absence of an official head coach. 

Berhalter’s future with the national team remains unclear as the federation continues to conduct a review of the USMNT’s program following is last-16 exit to Holland at the World Cup. 

US Soccer is still evaluating his performance in Qatar with an eye towards picking a manager to lead the men’s squad into the North American World Cup in 2026. 

Berhalter guided the USMNT to the last-16 of the World Cup but crashed out to Holland

The 49-year-old’s role with the team was further cast into doubt this week as the USSF announced it had hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations made against Berhalter during the World Cup. 

Berhalter went public Tuesday with the personal information ‘which a third party has used against my family and me.’ 

It was reported Wednesday that ex-USA captain and Giovanni Reyna’s dad Claudio Reyna sent more than one message to the US Soccer Federation threatening to reveal personal information about Berhalter during the World Cup. 

The messages started after Gio Reyna was told by Berhalter he would play a limited role in Qatar, according to ESPN.

In a lengthy statement posted to his Twitter profile on Tuesday, Berhalter discussed a violent incident in 1991 involving his wife Rosalind and admitted to ‘kicking her in the legs’ during an argument.

‘I am looking forward to continuing my conversations with US Soccer about the future, but now is the time for me to publicly share some personal information which a third party has used against my family and me,’ the post read. 

Berhalter, who played for the USA in defense between 1994 and 2006, made the information public to his 1,003 Twitter followers. His account is unverified but the statement was confirmed by the US Soccer Federation. 

Berhalter released a statement to his Twitter profile on Tuesday afternoon to clarify some ‘personal information which a third party has used against my family and me’

‘During the World Cup, an individual contacted US Soccer, saying that they had information about me that would “take me down” – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with US Soccer,’ the post continued.

‘This is a difficult step to take, but my wife, Rosalind, and I want to clearly and directly share the truth. This is a story that belongs to us, but hopefully there are lessons from our relationship that can be valuable to others.

‘In the fall of 1991, I met my soulmate. I had just turned 18 and was a freshman in college when I met Rosalind for the first time. There was a familiar feeling when we spoke. Rosalind was and is an amazing person – determined, empathetic, fun to be around – and we connected immediately.

‘It felt like we had known each other for years. We had been dating for four months when an incident happened between us that would shape the future of our relationship. One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside. It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.

Berhalter and his wife embrace after the USA exited the World Cup on December 3

‘There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day.

‘At that time, I immediately apologized to Rosalind, but understandably, she wanted nothing to do with me. I told my parents, family, and friends what happened because I wanted to take full responsibility for my behavior.

‘Rosalind also informed her parents, family, and friends. While the authorities were never involved in this matter, I voluntarily sought out counseling to help learn, grow and improve – one of the most valuable decisions that ever made. To this day, that type of behavior has never been repeated.’

The 49-year-old coach, born in New Jersey, met Rosalind, also 49, at the University of North Carolina where they both played soccer and started dating in 1991 before getting married eight years later. The couple live in Lake View, Chicago, and have four children.

‘Since then, Rosalind and I have lived together in five different countries, three different states and have met and remained friends with many wonderful people from around the world. All of these people have witnessed the strong relationship we have and the loving family we have built together,’ the post added. 

‘[…] I am sharing this story after 31 years because it’s important to understand it was an event that shaped me, but doesn’t define me. It was a single, isolated event over three decades ago and a terrible decision made in a bad moment by an 18-year-old. Rosalind and I have been on an amazing journey together.

‘We have raised four wonderful children, who are aware of what happened.

Berhalter’s US Soccer contract officially expired at the end of last month after the World Cup

‘We are very proud of our marriage, our relationship, the family we have built, and the people we have become.

‘As a team we emphasize accountability, honesty, and growth. Those aren’t just principles we instill within the team; it is how I live my life. The foundation of any good team is using the past as an opportunity to learn and get better.

‘People can make mistakes and learn from them; people can also be forgiven for their mistakes. Thankfully, Rosalind forgave me. The intention of this statement is to provide transparency and to reinforce that a single bad decision made by a teenager does not necessarily define him for the rest of his life. We will not hide from this. We didn’t then, and we won’t now.

‘This is our story. We have fully cooperated with the US Soccer investigation into this matter, and while we would prefer not to speak about something so personal from so long ago in such a public forum, we are embracing this opportunity to share what has shaped us and how much we have grown and learned from this over the past 31 years. Thank you.’

A statement on Tuesday afternoon read: ‘Upon learning of the allegation against US Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter on Dec. 11, 2022, US Soccer immediately hired Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The investigation is being led by Jenny Kramer, BJay Pak and Chris Marquardt of Alston & Bird LLP and remains ongoing.

Sporting Director Earnie Stewart announced that Hudson would act as temporary head coach

‘Through this process, US Soccer has learned about potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization. 

‘We take such behavior seriously and have expanded our investigation to include those allegations.

‘We appreciate Gregg and Rosalind coming forward to speak openly about this incident. Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we will share the results of the investigation publicly when it is complete. US Soccer condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.

‘Last month, US Soccer launched a full technical review of our Men’s National Team Program. With the review and investigation ongoing, US Soccer will announce who will lead the January Men’s National Team camp in the coming days. We look forward to building off the performance in Qatar and preparing for the journey towards 2026.’

Berhalter took charge of the USMNT in 2018 after starting his coaching career with LA Galaxy in 2011. He worked with Hammarby IF in Sweden and MLS team Columbus Crew SC before switching to international soccer.

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