The United States men’s national team managerial role isn’t currently open. In June of 2023, Gregg Berhalter was extended through the 2026 World Cup. But this is sports, so the prospect of change is never all that far away. If results don’t go Berhalter’s way this summer at Copa America, who knows what could happen ahead of the 2026 World Cup. So, it’s interesting that another man who has long been looked at as a possible natural fit for the role says he wouldn’t want it. Here’s what Jesse Marsch, former boss of Leeds, and no less than three separate Red Bull soccer teams had to say about the job when cohost Jimmy Conrad asked him about it on Call it What You Want — A CBS Sports Golazo Network podcast:
“No, I don’t want that job. And by the way, our job when i do this, so I’m new to this media thing, and I do it because I want to continue to be part of the game, and support what’s going on with U.S. Soccer, as a fan of U.S. Soccer and of MLS and everything else. So, when I do this I try to give insight as to the way that I see things. I don’t think I’m always right but I have opinions based on my experiences, the players I know, and what I’ve seen watching.”
“I don’t think that any of that we’ve really done as a podcast has been that unfair. I actually think that we’ve been pretty supportive, specifically when we are analyzing the players and how they’re playing in Europe, we want them to be successful.
“We sit from an analytical chair, but from a fan chair. So to see Christian Pulisic playing so well, to see Tyler Adams come back. Watching the interview with Gio Reyna after the match and seeing how happy he was, and the smile on his face. This is what I want to see from the players — their personality, that they are enjoying their football, that they are enjoying what they are doing with the national team. I think that will lead them into being more successful.”
For more from Marsch, Conrad, and Tony Meola don’t miss the entirety of this episode of Call it What You Want, a podcast dedicated to all things U.S. soccer. Episodes air Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Golazo Network from AT&T Stadium in the buildup to Sunday’s big final against Mexico. You can also follow and download Call it What You Want wherever you get your podcast.
After being let go from Leeds United, near the end of the 2022-23 season, one of the potential next steps for Marsch could have been for him to coach ]the United States men’s national team. The 50-year-old former United States international has previously been an assistant for the USMNT alongside coaching within Major League Soccer, the Bundesliga, and the Premier League providing experience that would make him a fit for the role. But, for now, at least, he says differently.
Although if Marsch is closing one door, he’s certainly opening another sitting on the media side of things. Along with the pod members, Marsch reacted to Gregg Berhalter’s comments about some in the media thinking that Gio Reyna maybe shouldn’t have been with the Concacaf Nations League squad.
