Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should have received a stern warning from US Soccer after manager Jesse Marsch was snubbed by the federation.
Marsh was keen to take charge of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) after Gregg Berhalter’s contract ends in December 2022. The U.S. Soccer Federation re-hired Berhalter instead of selecting Marsh, a former Premier League manager, to lead the USMNT into the future.
Following the U.S.’s unceremonious exit from the Copa America, Marsh has a warning for any manager considering taking on the seemingly daunting task of preparing the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup, perhaps including Klopp, who has ties to the U.S. national team. In an interview with Fox Sports this week, Marsh explained that despite being the manager of Canada, he keeps a constant eye on the U.S.’ performance.
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“I’m disappointed with the performance and the lack of discipline,” Marsh speculated. “I think we tried to do a lot for the US game and we’ve always believed in these guys.”
Under Marsh, Canada reached the knockout stages of the Copa America, while under Berhalter, the U.S. national team is searching for answers after failing to win a major tournament.
“I’m not there every day so I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it’s certainly not the situation we anticipated before this tournament,” Marsh said. “And they’ve got to find some kind of solution.”
One potential solution to the USMNT’s problems would be for the U.S. Soccer Federation to fire Berhalter. If they were to fire the 50-year-old, Klopp would undoubtedly rise to the top of the federation’s list, given that he has expressed interest in the possibility of coaching the USMNT in the past.
The Athletic previously reported that Klopp might consider taking the US national team role if a spot became available, but a recent Instagram post added fuel to the fire with a letter addressed to American fans celebrating Independence Day: “A great day to reflect on our tour of the USA with Liverpool FC. We had a great time and our American fans are excited! Happy Independence Day,” Klopp wrote.
Klopp’s post adds further credence to speculation the German could cut his holiday short and join the US national team in the near future, after the manager previously said Germany and “probably the US” were the only two positions he was considering, according to The Athletic’s Simon Hughes.
USA international legend Tim Howard is fully supportive of Klopp heading to the US if the USSF releases Berhalter, and in a column for the Daily Mail, Howard made it clear that the US has the clout to lure Klopp back onto the touchline after his holiday.
“I know Klopp has only been retired for a few weeks and would like a break, but I think a discussion at his villa in Spain would allow us to entice him here – 100%,” Howard wrote. “The money is definitely there.”
“So my suggestion is simple: he has young players who play progressive, forward-thinking football – exactly like the Liverpool team – and in two years’ time they can play in the biggest World Cup in history.”
