What lies ahead for Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT ahead of 2024 Copa América

With the 2026 World Cup looming large on the horizon, United States Soccer are desperate for their men’s national side to show the progress that the national team has been making and improve upon the 2022 tournament when the ‘Stars & Stripes’ failed to trouble the Netherlands with the curtain coming down on their Qatar World Cup in the Round of 16.

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Gregg Berhalter (back in charge after six months out of the position), will now look for solid showings in the CONCACAF Nations League, which kicks off this week and then in the summer’s Copa America which takes place on US soil as a mini-precursor for the World Cup which kicks off two years later and will be a decent acid test for the US with formidable opposition on show in the likes of Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay.

CONCACAF Nations League

The 2023-24 edition is the third time the CONCACAF Nations League tournament is being staged with the USMNT securing the first two titles with wins over Mexico (2020-21) and Canada (2022-23) and in Thursday’s semi-final must overcome Jamaica at the AT&T Stadium (Texas). The other semi-final sees Mexico face Panama with the final set for Sunday (24 March) at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

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If Berhalter’s men advance to the final, another ‘Concacaf Classic’ would be on the cards and the first chance to see Gregg Berhalter and Jimmy Lozano go head-to-head as managers of the US and Mexico respectively. ‘El Tri’ will first have to overcome the threat posed by Panama with the ‘Canaleros’ a more solid outfit under the tutelage of Danish born Thomas Christiansen.

The US will also get a chance to sport their new 2024 home and away jerseys which have been launched by Nike this week.

Copa America

As was the case for the Copa America Centenario in 2016, eight years later CONMEBOL’S flagship national comPetition returns to US soil as 16 nations from two confederations battle it out to be the best in America with Brazil and Argentina the teams to beat.

Berhalter’s men prepare for the tournament with two high-profile friendly Games as they take on Colombia on 8 June at Fedex Field (Maryland) before facing Brazil on the 12th in Orlando (Florida).

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The 48th edition of the tournament will also provide the organisers with key logistical information ahead of the 2026 World Cup when 48 nations will play across the US, Mexico and Canada. This year’s Copa America kicks off on 20 June and runs through to 14 July in fourteen host cities.

Gregg Berhalter’s men have been pitted in Group C along with Uruguay, Bolivia and Panama. The US team will look to the experience of the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie along with new talents in the shape of Haji Wright and Folarin Balogun and their showing at the comPetition will offer a reasonable yardstick of how the side are evolving 24 months ahead of the 2026 World Cup.