Fox’s Stuart Holden puts USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter on the hot seat going into the Copa América

As the U.S. men’s soccer team heads into the Copa América, there is real and welcome pressure on manager Gregg Berhalter to deliver.

These are the last big games the Americans will play before cohosting the 2026 World Cup, since they won’t have to qualify. Perhaps they can secure friendlies against big-time opponents over the next two years, but they won’t be the same as playing teams like Uruguay, Colombia, or Brazil in a real tournament.

Former U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden, who will be Fox’s lead analyst for the network’s Copa América broadcast, does not mind that Berhalter’s seat is hot — and doesn’t mind applying some heat himself.

“Yeah, it should be,” Holden said in a roundtable hosted by Fox on Tuesday. “We’re at a stage in the U.S. men’s national team program where we’ve elevated expectations.”

» READ MORE: Is the USMNT playing in the Copa América a big deal? Christian Pulisic sure thinks so.

Criticism of Berhalter erupted after the U.S. team’s blowout 5-1 loss to Colombia in its first Copa warmup game, then cooled after the historic 1-1 tie with Brazil a few days later — not just for the score, but the feisty style of play.

“While you can talk about the way that the team has evolved in its playing style and playing with the ball, and competing with England in a World Cup, he’s yet to have a signature win,” Holden said. “And I think if you come out of this tournament and you don’t have a signature win, and we’re in the same place that we’ve been, you know, Gregg’s seat should be hot. And you should be really having conversations about whether or not he should be the guy leading this team to 2026.”

In the Copa, the U.S. will face Bolivia, then Panama, then powerhouse Uruguay in what easily will be the Americans’ biggest game since the 2022 World Cup. Advance from the group stage, which the U.S. should, and a quarterfinal rematch with Colombia or Brazil likely awaits.

Two years ago, Berhalter’s team landed right on the bar of expectations when it advanced from the group stage, then lost (decisively to the Netherlands) in the round of 16. This time, the bar is once again advancing from the group, and while it probably should be higher, that’s complicated by knowing what could come afterward.

Though the U.S. men made the semifinals the last time this country guest-hosted the Copa América, in 2016, they had a slightly easier time. After a 2-0 loss to Colombia in the opener, the Americans beat Costa Rica and Paraguay (the latter at Lincoln Financial Field), then beat Ecuador in the quarterfinals.

Then came a semifinal against Argentina, which Lionel Messi and company won in a 4-0 rout.

» READ MORE: Alarm bells were ringing around the USMNT after its embarrassing loss to Colombia

“A quarterfinal finishing result here is probably more than likely, unless we can pull off a result,” Holden said.

He backed the U.S. to go for an upset of one of the giants, but said of the possibility of a loss: “I guess it depends on the manner in which that happens.”

It sure does. How valiant would it have to be? In extra time, or on penalty kicks, or who knows what else?

Or are there no valiant losses in a situation like this?

“I think that Gregg needs to prove to us — I think he needs a signature win,” Holden said. “I think he needs to prove to this group internally that they can compete and win against some of these teams. … I think Gregg has as much to prove, still, to everybody else that he’s the guy to take this team even further than we’ve been before.”

It matters that Berhalter clearly still has his players’ backing, which Holden and many observers have seen firsthand. But it’s no secret that U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker deferred to those players when he brought Berhalter back to the job after a five-month investigation into the Reyna-Berhalter scandal following the World Cup.

Nor is it a secret that retaining Berhalter was not Crocker’s first choice. It was justifiable in the context of the investigation clearing Berhalter, players’ loud backing of him led by Christian Pulisic, and Crocker being new to the job when the decision was made.

» READ MORE: Don’t expect to see the United States play in Philly during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Time has passed, Crocker has settled in, and he has flexed his muscle with the big-time hiring of Emma Hayes to lead the U.S. women. If there’s to be a change on the men’s side, the next few weeks will be the time to do it, because time will start running out after that.

Would U.S. Soccer pull the trigger? Holden knows more about that than most, as not just a broadcaster and ex-player but as a former member of U.S. Soccer’s Athlete Council. The group has a significant percentage of the vote in the governing body and seats on the board of directors that approves all coaches’ contracts.

“[Crocker] is aware that his legacy is attached to Gregg Berhalter’s performance as coach of this team,” Holden said. “From what I know about Matt Crocker, and in the brief opportunities I’ve had to speak to him … he is not afraid to make decisions. He seems like he’s strong-willed enough and bold to make that [call] if he feels that the performance in the Copa América ultimately isn’t good enough.”

And how would the rest of U.S. Soccer react, given the costs of buying Berhalter out and hiring a successor — presumably one with a bigger name and likely a bigger salary?

“I absolutely think that U.S. Soccer would pull the trigger if they thought that Gregg Berhalter was not the right guy to achieve the success that they deem acceptable come 2026,” Holden said. “I don’t think they’re scared to make that choice, much like they weren’t scared to bring him back when — if you listen to social media, nobody wanted him back and they brought him back.”

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Sunday, June 23: Group stage vs. Bolivia at Arlington, Texas (6 p.m., Fox29, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Thursday, June 27: Group stage vs. Panama at Atlanta (6 p.m., Fox29, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Monday, July 1: Group stage vs. Uruguay at Kansas City, Mo. (9 p.m., FS1, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Saturday, July 6: Potential quarterfinal at Las Vegas if group winner or Glendale, Ariz., if runner-up (6 or 9 p.m., FS1, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Wednesday, July 10: Potential semifinal at Charlotte (8 p.m., FS1, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Saturday, July 13: Third-place game at Charlotte (8 p.m., FS1, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)

Sunday, July 14: Final at Miami Gardens, Fla. (Fox29, Univision 65, TUDN, ViX)