Largest U.S. Soccer supporters group calls for Berhalter to be fired

The American Outlaws (AO) have released a statement calling on U.S. Soccer to fire U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Berhalter has seen his job called into question after the USMNT suffered a stunning early exit from the Copa América, finishing third in a group that also included Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia.

With big expectations for the tournament on home soil, the USMNT instead fell flat, leading many to question whether the federation errored when it reappointed Berhalter as head coach last summer.

As many fans and pundits have called for U.S. Soccer to make a change, AO joined the chorus by releasing a statement on Wednesday.

AO is the largest U.S. Soccer supporters group, boasting more than 30,000 members and 200 chapters worldwide.

In its statement, the group said:

As the largest supporters group of the U.S. National Soccer Teams, we love our National Teams and will always show our support for them in the stands, in hundreds of communities across the country, and above all else, in our hearts.

There needs to be accountability and a plan to move forward for the USMNT. It’s time to make a change in the head coaching position.

Our Copa América is over too soon. It was a moment to show progress for the USMNT’s aspirations, create thousands of lifelong new fans, and build energy ahead of the World Cup in communities nationwide. We will always passionately support the players and can see this team’s full potential.

As an organization, we have heard from our members and chapter leaders that the USMNT needs change. American soccer fandom is ready to reach levels we’ve never seen before, but we continue to miss opportunities.

Every game isn’t just about the result. It’s an opportunity to capture America’s attention and build an everlasting bond between new fans and the team. It’s an opportunity to compel new fans to put on the game and lasting fans to share the team with others.

But, change is necessary to prepare to compete at a home World Cup. We cannot miss this incredible chance to create a lasting impact on the game of soccer in this country, and we feel that a new head coach is an important step at this point.

After the USMNT’s defeat to Uruguay on Monday night, U.S. Soccer technical director Matt Crocker released a statement saying the federation would undertake a review of the tournament before deciding its next step.

“Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations. We must do better. We will be conducting a comprehensive review of our performance in Copa América and how best to improve the team and results as we look towards the 2026 World Cup,” Crocker said.

AO was not the only supporters group to call for Berhalter’s ouster, as Barra 76 also released a statement on Tuesday that said: “We demand change to invigorate our team’s competitive edge and inspire pride amongst fans. We believe replacing Gregg Berhalter as head coach of the USMNT is essential to revitalizing our national team’s strategy and achieving the results our players and supporters deserve.”

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