United States National Football

United States men's national soccer team star Christian Pulisic scored a pair of goals during a 3-0 victory over Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Thursday in Las Vegas.

Pulisic got the United States on the board in the 37th minute after a failed clearance. The ball found its way to Pulisic in the box, and he patiently put the ball into the net.

Pulisic didn't even need a full minute in the second half for his brace, something that an American player hadn't done against Mexico since 2009:

Weston McKennie found Tim Weah streaking down the field with a perfect pass. Weah then found Pulisic charging in the middle, and he hit him with a pass that the Chelsea winger put into the back of the net.

Ricardo Pepi later added a third goal to finish off the scoring.

This was a huge win for an American side that clearly came to play and dominated thanks to Pulisic's wonderful effort. Twitter recognized his phenomenal work.

Pulisic and the USMNT will now play Canada in the final at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The United States men's national team's 3-0 Concacaf Nations League semifinal victory over Mexico ended early during stoppage time in the second half after referee Ivan Barton halted the game following continued anti-gay chants by some fans at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, capping an ugly evening in which he handed out four red cards and patrons threw trash on the field.

As ESPN's Cesar Hernandez noted, Barton initially halted play in the 89th minute to activate the anti-discrimination protocol. A warning went out to the crowd, stating that the match could be abandoned if there was further chanting.

With four minutes left during the 12-minute stoppage time period, some fans again chanted an anti-gay slur at United States goalkeeper Matt Turner during a goal kick. The match then stopped early.

"It goes against everything that we stand for, on our side," Turner said, per Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times.

"We've been very open and vocal about, you know, the strength of our nation being its diversity. So, to use something so divisive during a game, a spirited game...it has no place in the game."

Concacaf released a statement post-match, saying the "incidents were extremely disappointing" and that they "tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high quality football in our region."

As Hernandez noted, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has had issues recently stopping fans from yelling the anti-gay chant at opposing goalkeepers during goal kicks. FIFA even issued a $108,000 sanction when the chant was heard at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

U.S. Soccer passed new policies on anti-discriminatory chants last year, and Alex Reimer of Outsports reported on some of the more extreme consequences after "a source close to U.S. Soccer" shared some details:

"In order to hold promoters accountable, U.S. Soccer is mandating they post a bond equal to the lesser of 10% of the anticipated paid gate of the match or $1 million. If the promoter doesn't take appropriate action to stop bigoted chants, U.S. Soccer will use the liquidated damages to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives.

"In addition, promoters won't be able to hold international contests for two years after the first violation. The ban extends to five years after a second violation, and becomes indefinite if a third violation occurs."

Cyd Zeigler of Outsports called out the offensive behavior Thursday but also noted United States Soccer's inaction in stopping the matter from getting worse.

"It's become a ridiculous joke. US Soccer has claimed that they are taking this seriously, though they have taken absolutely zero punitive actions to curb the chant," he said. "They had the opportunity to act on a friendly in April, but their inaction has emboldened Mexico fans for this match."

Zeigler called for a two-year ban of Mexico playing in the U.S.

Otherwise, it was a match marred by physical clashes.

Mexico center back César Montes was shown a red card after a hard tackle on striker Folarin Balogun from behind. The two teams then engaged in a scuffle on the field, and trash was thrown onto the pitch from the stands.

USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie was then sent off after defending his teammate, notably putting his hand on the throat of defender Jorge Sánchez. His jersey was ripped off in the process.

Later in the half, USMNT full back Sergiño Dest and Mexico defender Gerardo Arteaga were shown red cards after a confrontation occurred following midfielder Edson Álvarez's foul on the American.

The ugliness got far worse from there, to the point where the match wasn't even completed.

The tournament will conclude Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET when Canada plays the United States in the final.

Gregg Berhalter will return as coach of the U.S. men's national team through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the team announced Friday.

The Athletic's Paul Tenorio first reported the deal was nearing completion on Thursday night.

Berhalter managed the USMNT from 2019 to 2022, a span during which the team won the Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League and made the Round of 16 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Berhalter had also been approached for managerial jobs with Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam and Mexico City-based Club América, per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. The deal has yet to be finalized, but the former coach's return to the USMNT is "imminent," Tenorio reported.

Berhalter's last national team contract expired on December 31, according to ESPN.

His potential to return to the USMNT appeared in flux when U.S. Soccer announced in January they had hired a law firm to investigate an alleged incident of domestic violence involving Berhalter and his longtime partner, Rosalind, in 1992.

In a joint statement shared on Twitter, Berhalter and Rosalind said the investigation had been started by an individual contacting U.S. soccer in an effort to "take [Berhalter] down." Jeff Carlisle and Kyle Bonagura reported for ESPN that the individual was Danielle Reyna, mother of USMNT player Gio Reyna and wife of Claudio Reyna, Berhalter's former teammate.

In March, U.S. Soccer said they had concluded their investigation and found Berhalter and Rosalinda had described the incident accurately, and Berhalter had taken responsibility for the alleged assault. The report concluded that there was "a need to revisit U.S. Soccer's policies concerning appropriate parental conduct and communications with staff at the National Team level."

Berhalter won his coaching debut, a 3-0 friendly win over Panama in Glendale, Arizona in January 2019, and went on to become the second-fastest coach in USMNT history to reach 10 wins with the team. He holds a 37-11-12 record as USMNT coach, the highest win percentage in the team's history, per Tenorio.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker interviewed over ten candidates for the job before landing on Berhalter, Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell reported.

Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will not be the next manager of the United States men's national team, his agent, Ron Waxman, confirmed Thursday.

Marsch was considered a top candidate to serve as the next head coach of the USMNT after his firing by Leeds United in February.

Marsch was fired by Leeds with the Yorkshire club having a disastrous 2022-23 season that ended with a 19th place finish and relegation from the Premier league. In 37 games as the club's manager across all competitions, Marsch went 11-10-16.

The 49-year-old, who once played in Major League Soccer with D.C. United, Chicago Fire and Chivas USA, also has managerial experience with RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, Montreal Impact and New York Red Bulls.

The United States men's national team is searching for a new manager after failing to renew the contract of Gregg Berhalter amid an investigation into a domestic violence incident involving him and his now wife Rosalind when they were in college in 1992.

The investigation concluded that the domestic violence incident did occur, though the United States Soccer Federation said that Berhalter was still eligible to resume as U.S. manager.

Former assistant Anthony Hudson took over as the USMNT's interim manager after Berhalter's contract expired, though he left earlier this month to coach Qatari club Al-Markhiya SC.

B.J. Callaghan is now the team's interim head coach, though the USSF intends to name a new manager by the end of the summer.

Berhalter went 37-11-12 as manager of the USMNT, including wins in the 2021 Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup. However, he received some heavy criticism after the the team's round of 16 exit to the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup.

The USMNT is slated to face Mexico in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal match on Thursday night. The Gold Cup begins June 24.

B.J. Callaghan has been named the United States men's national team interim head coach after Anthony Hudson left the role for another job.

"B.J. has been an integral part of the USMNT staff during the last four years as this young team has grown and developed," U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement. "Working alongside Anthony Hudson these last five months, we are confident he is prepared and ready to lead this group in the summer tournaments. We are grateful to Anthony for the tremendous job he did and wish him success in the future."

Callaghan will be the interim head coach for at least the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup tournaments.

He first joined the USMNT in 2019 as a strategy analyst before being promoted to an assistant coaching role.

"I understand the responsibility of the job and am honored to have the opportunity to build upon the progress this group has made the last four years," Callaghan said. "Together, we have built a strong culture and a great understanding of how we want to play, and we expect to continue to build on that progress. Our goal is clear: Defend both of our CONCACAF titles."

The USMNT's search for a permanent manager continues, a process that began at the start of the calendar year after Gregg Berhalter's contract expired on Dec. 31 and wasn't renewed.

Hudson served as the interim manager during that time, helping the squad reach the CONCACAF Nations League final four and Gold Cup.

"I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity to be part of such a great team of players and staff," he said in a statement. "It's been an honor to represent the National Team and one that I have truly valued and enjoyed. The group is in good hands with B.J., and I'm excited to watch and support the team as it continues to grow and reach the heights we all know they are capable of."

The United States has arguably the most talented young core of players in its history. Getting the next managerial appointment right is crucial.

The United States men's national team earned a 1-1 draw with Mexico on Wednesday night, but the performance as a whole left many fans feeling underwhelmed.

The USMNT mustered just one shot on target, which came from Jesús Ferreira's equalizer in the 81st minute.

For some, however, the goal masked larger issues with the U.S. attack.

It's not necessarily a new problem for the United States, which has struggled to develop international-caliber strikers for a few years. Still, you have to go all the way back to a 3-0 friendly victory over Morocco to find the last time the USMNT scored more than one goal, excluding the two demolitions against a clearly overmatched Grenada.

Ferreira, who started in a No. 10 role behind Brandon Vazquez, wasn't immune from criticism.

It certainly doesn't help that the United States is in a holding pattern with interim coach Anthony Hudson. Nobody can say for sure when a permanent replacement will be hired since U.S. Soccer also needs to find a new sporting director, who presumably will make the final call on the next coach.

The United States doesn't return to action until June 15, when it meets El Tri again in the CONCACAF Nations League. Based on how slowly the coaching search has unfolded, you'd expect Hudson to remain in charge by then.

If that's the case, then it could be another occasion when the USMNT will have to grind out a result.