Having just crashed out of the Copa America, in the group stages no less, it’s clearly time for the United States Soccer Federation to go in a different direction. The current status quo, of nepotism and cronyism above all else, must cease. In January of 2023, the USSF was keen on then AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho.
Instead of shaking things up, going outside the box (state a similarly shopworn cliche of your choosing) with their next manager hire, they instead went back to the old familiar, and re-hired Gregg Berhalter.
Now they’ve paid the price for that mistake, as their Copa 2024 campaign ended up as disastrous as possible. And now you have no chances for redemption between now and the 2026 World Cup, which will be on home soil.
US Soccer missed a great opportunity by not pursuing Mourinho more. Elite managers lead giant clubs, not nations, while in the prime of their careers. Elite managers lead nations when they hit a slump in their career and/or happen to be a little bit past their prime.
The timing was right a year-and-half-ago. Now Mourinho is just starting a new job at Fenerbahce.
Jose Mourinho in 2011:
“I see myself coaching a [club] team, coaching the national team or helping develop soccer in the U.S. When I’m tired of winning things in Europe, it’s something I want to do. I want to coach the ?? national team, and I want to work in the United States.” pic.twitter.com/D0ncCFJNHs
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) January 21, 2023
That shows you Jose Mourinho was interested.
Has he proverbially lost a little bit on his fastball? Maybe. Or does he need to retool, revamp as refresh- to get back at the level where he used to be?
That could be, and that was the time to find out.
And it would have been entertaining. Mourinho press conferences are always box office. When I wrote my book, and focused a whole chapter on Mourinho, the title was: You’re Nobody In World Football Until Jose Mourinho Feuds With You.
He’s the Eminem/Slim Shady/Marshall Mathers of the sport.
His mind games, which start long before the match and last long after the post match press conference, are legendary. They give your team that extra edge over the opposition that make all the difference in the end result.
Did we mention that The Special One is a trophy machine? Other than Spurs (for obvious reasons) he wins silverware absolutely everywhere he goes.
Jose Mourinho as USMNT head coach would be box office ?
(via @SkySportsPL) pic.twitter.com/b3FQAomBlv
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) January 21, 2023
He’s won:
2 Champions League titles
3 Premier League titles
7 World Coach of the Year Awards
2 Serie A titles
1 La Liga title
4 League Cups.
Also, you wouldn’t have had to worry about his infamous “third season syndrome” here because international competition works on a different schedule and format. The USSF should have brought in this Portugese Magnifico, a man who has led the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Porto.
Whichever direction they go next, just please have a vision, and execute it, for once!
DO SOMETHING!!!
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.