Tim Weah sees red when Berhalter’s USMNT drifts off on a meaningless trip.

The coach may have one more chance to keep his job after Monday’s match against Uruguay following a crushing loss to Panama.

TFD – Berhalter’s tenure as USMNT head coach is on the line as they face Uruguay in a crucial Copa América match. Following a disappointing loss to Panama, the outcome of this game could determine his future. Will the team rise to the occasion and secure his position?

It may seem unfair to say that one of Gregg Berhalter’s players’ decision to hit an opponent in the head puts his position as head coach of the USMNT in serious danger.

However, unless the United States pulls off an unlikely victory over one of the favorites, Uruguay, in Kansas City on Monday, a coach who was expected to make it to at least the quarterfinals in the Copa América faces an elimination from the group stage. This is the US’s final major tournament test before it co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.

Berhalter is a nice guy. Well-liked by athletes, polite to the press, diligent, considerate, real, and compassionate. But the central question that has plagued the US since the Netherlands eliminated them in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is brutally straightforward and straightforward: is the man who, after the US failed to advance to the 2018 World Cup, brilliantly revived the program and raised a talented group of young people to adulthood, also the right man to lead the country to the next level? Will he perform better in 2026, when there will be the most chance to expand the sport in the US since 1994?

Much of the chat entering the Copa was of the growing need for Berhalter’s team to conjure a signature win. His debut game in command came in January 2019, when they defeated Panama 3-0. This Thursday’s heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the same opponents in Atlanta marked his 73rd game overall. However, despite having the most talented squad in the history of the country under his leadership—which includes Christian Pulisic of Milan, a true worldwide star—and a supporting cast of players from elite European clubs, the team has yet to win against a non-Concacaf country that is ranked in the top 25 by FIFA.

It was expected that a quarter-final matchup with either Brazil or Colombia would present a chance for a spectacular, confidence-boosting event. Monday, though, might be Berhalter’s last opportunity, with Uruguay leading Group C with six points from two games, the US and Panama tied on three, and Panama still to play Bolivia, a drab team from a nation currently dealing with a botched coup attempt, which seems like a very reasonable excuse to be preoccupied with something even more important than soccer.

The game against Uruguay, who are ranked 14th in FIFA (three spots below the US, but don’t let that deceive you), at Arrowhead Stadium would be a perfect opportunity to alter the story. With the notable exception of a fantastic 1-1 Copa tune-up against Brazil, it’s difficult to believe that the coach or the players, who have performed poorly in three of their four games this month, have what it takes to defeat Uruguay, who are led by the legendary Marcelo Bielsa and who easily defeated Bolivia 5-0 on Thursday and defeated Panama 3-1 last Sunday.

As he prepared reporters for what might be the most important night of his management career, Berhalter gave them pablum. He declared, “We’ll go out there and get a result because we know we have to.” “We have faith in this team. The team is formidable. I believe we can succeed if we maintain our concentration and follow our plan. That didn’t happen on Thursday on a night stained by online racist abuse of several US players.

As frequent opponents of the Concacaf, Panama’s vicious combination of aggressive passing and careless fouling—Adalberto Carrasquilla was sent off for a crazy hack against Pulisic late in the game—is hardly surprising. However, until Tim Weah hits someone in the face, everyone has a plan, to borrow Mike Tyson’s words.

The red card for Sergiño Dest’s off-the-ball confrontation with Roderick Miller brought back memories of his petty dismissal against Trinidad & Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League last November, for two reasons: first, for his blatant lack of discipline, and second, since it precipitated the US team’s retreat against weaker opponents.

Even though Weah, a 24-year-old Juventus winger who has a habit of coming and going from games, was sent off in the 18th minute on Thursday, it shouldn’t have been enough to start a tactical and territorial collapse that saw Panama score goals in each half and end up with an incredible 74% of the possession, especially since the US took the lead shortly after the sending-off, encouraged by a home crowd of 59,145 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Berhalter sent on Ricardo Pepi in place of the lively and confident Folarin Balogun, who had scored a fantastic opening goal in last Sunday’s too-comfortable 2-0 victory over Bolivia. The US’s greatest opportunity of the second half was squandered by Pepi, who headed weakly at the goalkeeper. At the break, Berhalter brought on Cameron Carter-Vickers, the defender who had been so ungainly in the 5-1 friendly defeat to Colombia earlier in the month. The Celtic player was once again a chaotic presence, trying a reckless tackle that resulted in a penalty until VAR correctly overturned the call.

While there was some reasoning behind giving up playmaker Gio Reyna for a defender, particularly in light of goalkeeper Matt Turner’s unsettling injury sustained during halftime, Reyna’s ingenuity and poise with the ball may have released pressure in the second half and proved to be a wiser move than bringing on a third center-back and digging in for a draw.

Tim was bumped, examined, and responded. Berhalter told reporters, “He apologized to the group and I think he understands what a difficult position he put the group in.” “He is a fantastic team player. He stood up and he took accountability for it right away and we’ll move on.” In its public generosity, this was classic Berhalter: finding a way to praise a player who deserves blame. Seeing an individual blunder as an opportunity to stress collective responsibility.

Weah apologized, stating that he is “committed to learning from this experience” and that he is “sad and angry at myself.” Under Berhalter, the US was always in the process of learning. However, the coach’s own international journey might be coming to an end if he can’t figure out a way to teach Bielsa on Monday.