DOHA, Qatar — Sean Johnson was into Year 4 as a player under coach Gregg Berhalter when he started wondering about the bounce passes.
And as ridiculous as the explanation might sound, everybody around the national team takes Berhalter at his word — because, as former winger Paul Arriola told Yahoo Sports with a smile, “he's a methodical man.” An obsessive, notoriously detail-oriented man who has a reason for almost everything.
Berhalter cares about, and holds colleagues accountable to the nuances of everything from on-field movements to seemingly trivial details or habits beyond the game. He doesn't allow sneakers on the USMNT's training field, for instance. When he wasn't thrilled with fans' energy at kickoff of home qualifiers, he
to help script a new pregame cadence. He searches for marginal advantages wherever he can find them, so“I mean, it does make sense, when you think about it like that,” Yedlin says. “If you want to get detailed about it, I guess.” But the bounce pass has also become a living, breathing phenomenon of its own. It transcends utility. It’s “his signature,” Johnson says. In fact, in June, Berhalter threw behind-the-backers to a couple opposing players, puncturing a big hole in the idea that it is solely purposeful.
After that June game, a 5-0 win over Grenada, as Berhalter prepared to present Jesús Ferreira with the match ball, Yedlin arose from his seat in the locker room and began enthusiastically miming the behind-the-back motion. Berhalter, on cue, shook Ferreira's hand, kept the ball, turned to walk away, and then“Sick,” Johnson said with a smile when I first broached the subject with him in August. “So sick, dude.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
USMNT Coach Gregg Berhalter Apologizes For Iranian Flag Edit In World Cup PostsUSMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter apologized on Monday for his team's edit of the Iranian flag in World Cup social media posts ... though he insisted he and his players had no say in the matter.
Read more »
Gregg Berhalter Says USMNT Took No Part in Iran Social Media ControversyThe USFA in a comment to CNN said it changed the flag for 24 hours to show 'support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights,' but added that it always intended on changing it back.
Read more »