Meola calls out US Soccer for wasting time in search for coach
Former US goalkeeper Tony Meola, who also works for Apple on the MLS Season Pass, did not hold back when speaking about US Soccer’s delay in finding a coach.
In an interview with Bolavip, Tony Meola criticized the lack of a plan or direction in what he called the most important five years in the Federation’s history.
“It’s right here,” Meola said. “We have to get it right and we’re wasting time right now.”
With a waste of time, Meola points to the lack of a head coach, general manager or athletic director for the USMNT and US Soccer. Former coach Gregg Berhalter remains under investigation by US Soccer, while Brian McBride and Earnie Stewart left the association in early 2023. The 2026 World Cup in the United States is not only just around the corner, but is arguably the greatest moment for the United States in soccer.
According to Meola, it could be nine months or more before this talented squad, who have reached the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, actually have direction. Even then there will be time to adjust to a national team position that is different from others.
“It looks like we’re going to lose about nine months of not having a manager looking for the players he wants,” Meola said. “Whoever it is, it’s going to be at least four or five months before that person starts figuring everything out, so I think our saving grace is that we’re already qualified.
“Overall it’s not a great place. You can sell me whatever you want on a clean sheet, we don’t have a national team coach.”
Meola says US Soccer should probably hire domestically
The former USMNT goaltender reminisced about his days in US soccer after his playing days. It inspired him to think that US soccer needs to change its policies for a number of reasons.
One of them is the fact that US Soccer has asked the Chicago-based head coach to stay close to the federation’s headquarters.
“If you ask people to move to a city for this job, you eliminate 95% of your candidates,” Meola added. “Coaches don’t want to sit in a room and talk, coaches want to scout players, watch games live, they want to be at camp.
“US Soccer is so reluctant to change one thing and it doesn’t make sense to me.”
Part of what sets US Soccer apart is that it differs from many other international jobs based on how it works.
“I find [US Soccer is] must go inside [MLS] because at least that person understands the mentality of how things are done here,” Meola said.
As such, Meola recommended names like Jim Curtin, Peter Vermes, or even former USMNT head coach Tab Ramos, who is admittedly a friend of Meola’s. Ramos invited former USMNT players to visit current players so young talent could ask about Worlds experience and get comfortable.
Meola was also reluctant to look for other rumored names like Marcelo Bielsa, Jose Mourinho or even Jesse Marsch. Either these managers haven’t had much success recently, or they don’t fit into the general theme of the United States.
Casting the coaching role
US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone says the first step is to hire an athletic director. In this way, this person can help oversee the hiring process for the USMNT. However, she estimates that the sporting director position could remain vacant until this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
Other nations without a head coach after the World Cup, namely Portugal, Belgium, Mexico and more, have already filled vacancies. The USMNT could be the last in a series of major competitions on the near horizon.
PHOTO: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire