SMNT’s Sebastian Berhalter reflects on his World Cup season full circle – ‘4 years ago I was in the stands’
IRVINE, Calif. – Sebastian Berhalter has been present in the last two World Cup matches.
“Four years ago I was on the ropes waiting for my pops to show up,” he said Tuesday, “and now they’re waiting for me.”
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In 2022, Berhalter was a spectator in Qatar, in the crowd with his mother and siblings cheering for the US and supporting his father, Gregg, the head coach.
At the time, Sebastian was a 21-year-old midfielder finding his place in Major League Soccer. He was yet to enjoy the moment of a goal as a professional and he was not yet invited to the national youth team camps.
The thought of being anywhere other than representing the World Cup – or the friendly US, for that matter – was a distant thought.
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It’s fast Friday at SoFi Stadium. It’s halftime when the US scores 4-1 over Paraguay. Christian Pulisic was smart in the first half, but because a left calf strain aggravated the illness a few days ago, coach Mauricio Pochettino turned to Berhalter to help see out the Group D opener.
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“I’m proud, and I’m going up to see my family [afterward]and seeing how happy they were for me … it’s so special,” he said. “Having that moment with them was amazing.”
From World Cup viewer to USMNT sub
Since the last World Cup, Berhalter has established himself as one of the best midfielders in MLS for the Vancouver Whitecaps team that reached the finals last year and led the Western Conference during the summer break.
His father is in his second season in charge of the Chicago Fire, who are third in the Eastern Conference and on the verge of a second playoff after the organization missed seven straight years.
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But while Gregg has built a long coaching history, Sebastian has succeeded as a player in much quicker fashion.
He sees where he wants to go, what his aspirations are, and how he wants to improve,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “Obviously he was a fan of the last World Cup, and it’s amazing to see his growth over the last few years. What he set out to do and achieve, he was able to do that, but that is because of his behavior. When you see how he shows up every day to train, it’s no surprise.”
USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has completed a long climb from MLS to World Cup debutant.
(Photos by Shaun Clark/ISI via Getty Images)
Since making his national team debut last summer, Berhalter has been invited to nearly every camp leading up to the World Cup and, with a strong start to the MLS campaign, all but kept his spot on the U.S. roster last month.
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The video of Pochettino’s team interview on his 26 selections brought a rush of emotions.
“My mom started crying right away, my sister started crying, then I started crying,” Berhalter said. “I was just telling them that I love them and I’m very grateful for all the sacrifices over the years, especially my mother. I was crying for about 45 seconds and then I said, ‘Okay, I have to go because I’m training for like 20 minutes'” with the Whitecaps.
‘Sometimes people need to call you crazy’
Berhalter now finds himself in the same inner circle as the players he loved.
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He called Adams “my role model for the rest of my life.”
Midfielder Weston McKennie “was one of my role models, my idols growing up,” he said. “Seeing what he’s doing with Juventus is encouraging, especially for someone in the MLS, to know the boys can do it there.”
Although the three are close in age, Berhalter has never been on the same fast track as Adams and McKennie, who, in their youth, struggled with the US and signed with clubs in Germany.
When the dramatic phase faded, Berhalter became one of the gang. He brought levels of passion and intensity to the center of the pitch, not to mention the technical ability to throw a set piece over the head or foot of his teammates in dangerous areas.
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It’s been a long road.
“Sometimes people need to call you crazy,” he said. “That’s been my whole life. I was 16 years old, going pro [with the Columbus Crew]I’m 5-10, 110 pounds, and everyone was already so much bigger than me. People laughed at me.”
Living with the name Berhalter
Berhalter’s journey began in London, where he was born when his father was a Crystal Palace defender. In 2006, when Gregg was on the World Cup team, five-year-old Sebastian was part of the crowd in Germany.
He remembers “running around the hotel and collecting Panini stickers. I didn’t really understand what was happening, but I felt the magnitude and understood how important it was to my family and to all the people there.”
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His father’s influence played well. As Gregg coaches Columbus, Sebastian excels at the youth academy. Even though his father made it to the national team, Sebastian couldn’t escape people complaining about his selection.
“I know when I get a call from my father [to play for a team he was coaching]I would have had to earn it twice as much as any other player,” he said. “Whatever anybody wanted to say, it didn’t matter to me, because I know the kind of person he is, and he wouldn’t just call me to call me. It’s something I had to earn.”
Apart from showing the ability to play at the international level, Sebastian went through the mental preparations to break into the national team.
In Qatar, “actually every game, I just think about being in those games and being a big fan in the stands, cheering for the team, and I feel nervous in every game,” he said. “Seeing what it takes at that level and telling myself after we’re out in four years, I want to be there and this is what I’m going to work for in the next four years.”
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Berhalter’s breakthrough came early last year in leading the Whitecaps to the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the spring, followed by impressive performances in the MLS. Berhalter called him to the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer. After that, his MLS form picked up as he finished with four goals and 12 assists in the regular season and MLS Best XI honors.
(Jared C. Tilton – FIFA via Getty Images)
Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna goes through a family drama
His return to the national team in November reunited him with midfielder Gio Reyna, a young friend whose rift with Sebastian’s father at the 2022 World Cup spilled into the public eye following the tournament and involved Reyna’s parents. The families had been close for decades, but the growing conflict became deeply personal.
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Sebastian and Gio have shown no signs of family drama affecting their relationship in the US. (If that were the case, Pochettino, who placed great importance on creating a family atmosphere in the team, would not have chosen them both.)
Asked about the potentially difficult transition, Berhalter spoke highly of Reyna’s expertise and skills. They may not be best friends, but they seem to be good teammates.
“It’s not a matter between me and him,” said Berhalter. “We’re on the same team, and, for us, it’s about winning games.”
Reflecting on the turmoil of 2022, Reyna said, “It’s a little worrying. [being asked about it]. Everyone is a long way from that.”
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Commenting on Sebastian, Reyna said, “It’s great to see his progress. He’s had some tough times in his previous MLS career, but the way he’s developed over the past two years has been great to see. … He demands a lot from everyone and is a great part of the team.”
Both were on the field against Paraguay, when Reyna scored the last goal. Berhalter was the second teammate to embrace him.
“It’s an amazing goal,” Berhalter said.
And for Berhalter, the first game of the World Cup, a few years ago, was incomprehensible.
