{"id":227,"date":"2026-05-29T22:48:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=227"},"modified":"2026-05-29T22:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:48:41","slug":"sebastian-berhalter-had-the-burden-of-being-a-coachs-kid-but-he-earned-his-usmnt-world-cup-ticket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=227","title":{"rendered":"Sebastian Berhalter had the burden of being a coach\u2019s kid, but he earned his USMNT World Cup ticket"},"content":{"rendered":"

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. \u2014 Four years ago, Sebastian Berhalter was a fan in the stands at the last World Cup, watching his father, Gregg, coach the U.S. men\u2019s team.<\/p>

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Though the son had been a pro for two years by then, barely anyone would have thought he\u2019d be on the next American squad to make soccer\u2019s biggest stage.<\/p>

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In fact, the idea wasn\u2019t in most outsiders\u2019 minds until last summer. That\u2019s when Berhalter earned his first of what\u2019s now 11 senior national team caps, from the Gold Cup through five of the eight friendlies last fall.<\/p>

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But one thing was known all along: He was a coach\u2019s kid. The stigma that comes with that is hard to erase, as Michael Bradley had to show for years in his national team prime.<\/p>

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Berhalter took it on the chin, using the criticism as motivation. He also knew back then that he wasn\u2019t good enough for the national team.<\/p>

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\u201cI know if I got a call from my dad, I would have to earn it double as any other player,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd whatever anyone wanted to say, it didn\u2019t matter to me, because I know the type of person he is, and he would never just call me in just to call me in. Yeah, I had to earn it, and I didn\u2019t deserve it at any point yet.\u201d<\/p>

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When Mauricio Pochettino settled in as Gregg Berhalter\u2019s successor, the younger Berhalter was succeeding with the Vancouver Whitecaps. So when the national team call did come, it was from the outsider who was hired to bring a different view.<\/p>

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Now 25, Berhalter contributed a goal and three assists in his games, with hustle in central midfield and a knack for set pieces. As his stature grew \u2014 metaphorically for a 5-foot-9 player \u2014 it became increasingly clear that he had a real shot at making the World Cup team. Now he\u2019s there.<\/p>

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