MIAMI — Just over a year ago, Gregg Berhalter guided the U.S. Men’s National Team to an exceptionally disappointing Copa America, making history as the first host nation to exit the tournament in the group stage. Following the team’s tally of one win and two losses, the U.S. Soccer Federation terminated Berhalter’s contract, marking his second departure from the national team.
Amidst the trending #BerhalterOUT on social media, speculation arose regarding his future in coaching. With head coach roles on his resume at the USMNT, Columbus Crew, and Hammarby in Sweden, many pondered what his next move would be. Less than four months post-firing, Chicago Fire FC appointed Berhalter as their new head coach and director of football for the 2025 season.
This marked Berhalter’s return to MLS, where he had previously enjoyed success as a player, while embarking on the challenge of restoring a struggling franchise. The Fire had not reached the MLS Cup playoffs since 2017, wrapping up the 2024 season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Embracing the challenge, Berhalter turned the perennial Wooden Spoon contenders into a playoff-clinching team, achieving a remarkable 5-3 victory against Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi. Along this journey, he set a record for the club’s performances away from home.
While the Chicago Fire flourished under Berhalter’s leadership, the U.S. men’s national team experienced challenges with new manager Mauricio Pochettino, struggling to find success in both the Gold Cup and Nations League earlier this year. Berhalter has expressed that he feels no sense of vindication seeing the decline of the USMNT while he succeeds in Chicago.
“No, because I never thought it was just me,” Berhalter explained to ESPN. “It’s always a combination of factors. When you look at my record, I believe I’m the winningest coach in U.S. soccer history. So, it’s not like I did a poor job.
“We were a young team that qualified for the 2022 World Cup and performed well. But I comprehend the decisions made, and I never took it personally. I never sought vindication. For me, it’s about striving for success wherever I go.”
And he is achieving just that with the Fire.
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Keller: USMNT haven’t improved under Pochettino
Kasey Keller questions the USMNT’s progress since Pochettino succeeded Berhalter.
A United Team in Chicago
Berhalter recognized the challenges facing the Fire but also saw potential in the club’s ownership and the city itself. Having spent six years in Chicago while coaching the national team, the new manager felt a sense of responsibility to deliver MLS success for the city.
Despite modest expectations, he faced immense pressure to perform. Rather than shy away, Berhalter embraced the challenges and leveraged his prior experiences for success.
“Pressure is something I learned from the national team,” Berhalter stated. “The stakes at the national level are extremely high. When coaching during a World Cup, facing elimination if you lose to England, you have to manage pressure effectively.”
Prior to the season, Berhalter devised a plan for the club’s success, which involved a complete overhaul of the staff and player culture. He recruited new personnel, including a director of performance and a head of strategy, and brought in players during the winter transfer window who aligned with the new identity he aimed to establish.
While the team had previously pursued high-profile names like Xherdan Shaqiri and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Berhalter understood that a single superstar wouldn’t reignite the club’s spirit. Instead, he sought players who demonstrated three key attributes: growth, unity, and accountability. Drawing from his experience with the national team, Berhalter emphasized that building a cohesive team dynamic held greater importance than highlighting individual talents.
“Facilitating synergy amongst team members is something I gleaned from working with top-tier players with significant egos,” Berhalter asserted.
In his role as director of football, Berhalter isn’t dismissing the idea of acquiring an international superstar, but he insists any such acquisition would need to align with the culture he is fostering.
“Our focus is on the collective; how our 11 players, along with substitutes, can collaborate successfully. That’s the core strength of our roster, and our entire playing system revolves around that,” Berhalter remarked.
This collective spirit was vividly illustrated in their impressive win against Miami, clinching their postseason berth. Each of the Fire’s five goals in the match were scored by different players, including D’Avilla Djé, Jonathan Dean, Rominigue Kouamé, Justin Reynolds, and Brian Gutiérrez — reinforcing Berhalter’s view that the team thrives through collective effort rather than individual prowess. Under his guidance, the Fire currently ranks second in the league in goals scored, with 66, just behind Messi’s Inter Miami (76).
Brian Gutiérrez, a member of the Fire since 2020, notes that Berhalter’s influence on team culture is tangible.
“The most significant change has been the cultural shift, establishing a bond among the team,” Gutiérrez shared. “In the past, that camaraderie was lacking, but it’s evident on the field now.”
Creating a ‘Huge Shift’
The Chicago Fire ended the 2024 season in last place in the Eastern Conference, with a mere 30 points and seven victories in 34 matches. This was another disappointing finish, as the team has not cracked the top 10 in the East since 2019, when the league had only 12 teams. A franchise that once soared—winning the 1998 MLS Cup and multiple U.S. Open Cups in the early 2000s—had languished in mediocrity.
Decades of underperformance plagued Chicago, affecting all players associated with the club. While players were eager to succeed, a mindset of settling for draws and losses, particularly on the road, had become ingrained, as noted by player Andrew Gutman.
“MLS is an incredibly challenging league, especially away from home, due to travel and time zone changes,” Gutman explained. “There are numerous variables, so playing for draws seemed to be the norm.”
Berhalter quickly recognized the necessity of raising expectations both on and off the pitch.
“We don’t want complacency,” Berhalter declared. “No matter who you are or how old you are, you can always improve. That’s a crucial value for us.”
Chicago started the 2025 season with a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Crew but then launched into a five-match unbeaten streak. Gradually, the results began to reflect the team’s evolution under Berhalter, inching towards consistency. However, the match against the New York Red Bulls on April 5 at Sports Illustrated Stadium highlighted the mediocrity Berhalter aimed to eliminate.
Though Chicago initially took the lead in New Jersey, the Red Bulls rallied for a 2-1 victory. In a rare display of frustration, Berhalter expressed his disappointment to the players, emphasizing that the standards of the past would no longer suffice.
“One game that stands out was the away match against the Red Bulls,” Berhalter recounted. “There have been moments this season where I’ve lost my cool. I usually maintain my composure, but that was a significant moment.
“It was all about expectations. I wanted to communicate that wherever we play, we must expect to win. I wasn’t satisfied with that match; it felt like we were accepting draws or losses. I was adamant that, ‘This isn’t good enough. We can achieve more.’ That was a critical turning point.”
Gutman echoed Berhalter’s sentiments, noting that this match highlighted the necessity for higher standards among the players. Previously, they understood the coach’s philosophy but needed tangible proof of the dangers of complacency.
“He was furious with us because he knew we were the superior team, and felt we lost only because of our mentality,” Gutman explained. “After that game, a significant shift occurred among the players. We realized we were committed to winning, regardless of location. Each away match reinforces that we’re there to claim three points, and if we don’t, it’s unacceptable.”
Following that game, the Fire secured a franchise record with nine away victories this season. Currently, they lead the league with 41 goals on the road. With one matchday left in the regular season, they are vying for the top spot in away wins, trailing only Cincinnati and San Diego (11 each). In just one season, Berhalter has nearly matched the team’s away victories to what they achieved in the previous three seasons combined.
Even when facing the likes of Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba in their match against Inter Miami at Chase Stadium, Gutman shared that the team felt a sense of confidence instilled by Berhalter.
“We entered that match knowing we were playing Miami away to secure a playoff spot, but we didn’t feel pressured,” Gutman said. “It felt as though we were set up to win and that we would execute our game plan perfectly. I found it surprising that I wasn’t anxious about breaking the playoff drought; it was just the expectations set daily. We knew we could do it.”
In just over a year under Berhalter’s leadership as head coach and director of football, the transformation in Chicago is unmistakable. As the Fire prepares for the upcoming MLS Cup playoffs, they have secured at least a wildcard position in the East, and their future could see them earning a bye in the first round. Despite recent struggles, the expectations for Chicago are rising, and the players are ambitiously targeting the MLS Cup.
“I expected a change with Gregg at the helm—you could see it the moment he stepped into the room,” Gutiérrez remarked. “We finally have someone who is dedicated to restoring our club to its former glory.”
With a new culture, elevated expectations, and a focus on collective effort, Berhalter is steering Chicago toward a potential first MLS Cup title since 1998.