Sunday 2 December 2018 17:43, UK
Gregg Berhalter has been named head coach of the United States, ending a year-long search following the country's failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Berhalter, who played at Crystal Palace for 18 months from February 2001, joins the national team from Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew and replaces caretaker-manager Dave Sarachan.
Sarachan had been appointed following the resignation of Bruce Arena, who stepped down after the USA's 2018 World Cup qualifying debacle.
"This is a tremendous honour," Berhalter said. "Having played for the national team I know what it means to represent our country.
"I believe in our players and our program, and together we will work to build something special and develop a team that will make our supporters proud."
The 45-year-old won 44 caps for the United States between 1994 and 2006 and played in two World Cups.
"We are excited to announce Gregg as the next head coach of the US men's national team," said US Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro.
"As an experienced former national team player and highly-regarded professional coach, we are confident he is the best person to guide our program forward."
His club career included stints in England, Germany and the Netherlands before he retired with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011.
He is the first US World Cup veteran to take charge of the national side and faces a major rebuilding project as the Americans look towards the 2022 finals in Qatar.
Berhalter will be formally unveiled at a press conference in New York on Tuesday.
As a manager in MLS, Berhalter took Columbus to the playoffs in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, and his team were losing MLS Cup finalists in 2015, when they were beaten by Portland.
