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Julien Laurens, Correspondent
Former Crystal Palace manager and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is interested in the vacant United States men’s head coaching job, sources have told ESPN.
Sources added that the United States Soccer Federation has already made contact with the Frenchman, but talks haven’t progressed following the initial approach. Other managers are also in contention, but Vieira is keen on the challenge to take over the job last held on a full-time basis by Gregg Berhalter.
Having studied the recent results of the USMNT and the makeup of the current squad, the 1998 World Champion with France feels that there is great potential there and would like the opportunity to take the team on the journey to the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Vieira left Palace in March amid a run of poor results and the team in danger of relegation after going winless in 12 straight games. The 46-year-old also coached MLS side New York City FC from 2016-18 and Ligue 1 club Nice from 2018-20 before taking the job at Palace.
Previous USMNT coach Anthony Hudson, who took over the team on an interim basis in January after Berhalter’s contract expired following the World Cup, stepped down at the end of May and was replaced by a second interim in B.J. Callaghan.
Berhalter, 49, has been in limbo since the end of 2022 and in the wake of an investigation into a domestic violence incident from 1992 involving him and his now wife Rosalind when the two were students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The investigation concluded that the Berhalters responded truthfully during the investigation, confirming that the incident took place, with the USSF stating that Berhalter was still a candidate to resume his post as U.S. manager.
A U.S. Soccer spokesperson told ESPN last month that “nothing has changed” with regard to Berhalter’s candidacy. On Tuesday, ESPN reported that both Club America and Sparta Rotterdam were considering Berhalter for their coaching vacancies.
The USSF, which appointed Matt Crocker as sporting director in April, said it expects to name a permanent head coach in August. Callaghan will oversee the USMNT for the Nations League finals from June 15-18 and the bi-annual Gold Cup after that.
The U.S. plays Mexico in the Nations League semifinals on June 15 in Las Vegas, with the winner playing either Canada or Panama in the final.
Speaking ahead of the Mexico match, CBS broadcaster and former U.S. star Clint Dempsey took issue with the amount of time the USSF was taking in naming its next coach.
“I think that they need to hurry up and make that decision because we’re running out of time,” Dempsey said. “I think we took too long in terms of appointing our sporting director and we’re taking a little bit too long in terms of appointing our manager, because time is of the essence.”