<p>Former United States goalkeeper Tony Meola, who is also working for Apple on <a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=wst_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l35s4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MLS Season Pass</a>, did not hold back when discussing the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-may-miss-out-on-marsch-due-to-baffling-hiring-process-20230211-WST-419278.html">delayed coaching search</a> from US Soccer. </p>



<p>In an <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/Tony-Meola-US-Soccer-wasting-time-on-slow-coaching-search-and-what-to-expect-on-MLS-League-Pass-20230216-0015.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview with Bolavip</a>, Tony Meola criticized the lack of a plan or direction in what he called the most important five years in the Federation’s history. </p>



<p>“This is it, right here,” Meola said. “We have to get it right, and we are wasting time right now.”</p>



<p>By wasting time, Meola refers to the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-needs-a-better-coach-than-gregg-berhalter-20221203-WST-411046.html">lack of a head coach</a>, general manager or sporting director for the USMNT and US Soccer. Former coach <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/berhalter-unclear-of-his-future-as-us-head-coach-20221203-WST-411101.html">Gregg Berhalter</a> remains under investigation from US Soccer, while Brian McBride and Earnie Stewart departed the Federation early in 2023. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/how-world-cup-2026-will-be-different-than-previous-world-cups-20221223-WST-412849.html">2026 World Cup</a> in the United States is not only close, but it is arguably the biggest moment for the United States in soccer. </p>



<p>Meola says it could be nine months or more before this talented squad that reached the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup actually has a direction. Even then, there will be time to adjust to a national team position unlike others.</p>



<p>“It looks like we are going to lose probably around nine months, where we don’t have a coach scouting the players that he wants,” Meola said. “Whoever it is it will take that person at least four of five months to start to figure it all out, that’s why I think our saving grace is that we are already qualified.</p>



<p>“Overall picture it’s not a great place to be in. They can sell me on the clean slate all they want, we don’t have a national team coach.”</p>



<h2>Meola says US Soccer should likely hire domestically</h2>



<p>The former USMNT goalkeeper recalled his days around US Soccer after his playing days. It inspired him to think that US Soccer must change its policy for a number of reasons.</p>



<p>One of those is the fact that US Soccer mandates the head coach live in Chicago to be close to the Federation’s headquarters. </p>



<p>“When you ask people to move to a city to do this job, you eliminate 95% of your candidates,” Meola added. “Coaches don’t want to sit in a room and talk, coaches want to scout players, go see games live, they want to be in camp.</p>



<p>“US Soccer is so reluctant to change one thing, and it makes zero sense to me.”</p>



<p>Part of what makes US Soccer stand out is that it is different from many other international jobs based on how it operates. </p>



<p>“I think [US Soccer is] going to need to go within [MLS] because minimum that person understand the mentality of how things are done here,” Meola said. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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<p>Therefore, Meola recommended names such as Jim Curtin, Peter Vermes or even former USMNT head coach Tab Ramos, who admittedly is a friend of Meola. Ramos did invite former USMNT players to visit the current players, allowing young talents to ask about World Cup experience and get comfortable. </p>



<p>Meola was also hesitant to go after <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/thierry-henry-puts-his-name-in-the-hat-for-usmnt-job-20230216-WST-420113.html">other rumored names</a> such as <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/marcelo-bielsa-linked-to-usmnt-head-coach-position-report-20230129-WST-417502.html">Marcelo Bielsa</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-wants-jose-mourinho-as-next-head-coach-20230119-WST-416100.html">Jose Mourinho</a> or even <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/southampton-target-jesse-marsch-while-us-soccer-dawdles-20230213-WST-419654.html">Jesse Marsch</a>. Either those managers have not had recent success, or they do not fit the general theme of the United States.</p>



<h5>Filling the coaching role</h5>



<p>US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone says the first step is landing a sporting director. That way that person can help oversee the hiring process for the USMNT. However, she estimates the sporting director role may go unfilled until the Women’s World Cup this summer.</p>



<p>Other nations without head coaches after the World Cup, namely Portugal, Belgium, Mexico and more, have already filled vacancies. The USMNT could be the last with a number of major competitions on the near horizon. </p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire</em></p>


Meola calls out US Soccer for wasting time in search for coach

Former United States goalkeeper Tony Meola, who is also working for Apple on MLS Season Pass, did not hold back when discussing the delayed coaching search from US Soccer. In an interview with Bolavip, Tony Meola criticized the lack of a plan or direction in what he called the most important five years in the [&hellip;]

Former USMNT goalkeeper Tony Meola lashed out at US Soccer for the Federation's laziness in landing a new head coach for the USMNT.

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<p>US Soccer announced Sporting Director Earnie Stewart and USMNT General Manager Brian McBride are leaving the federation. Stewart will move to Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, the country of his birth and his home as a player.</p>



<p>According to US Soccer CEO JT Batson, the decision to overhaul the USMNT and US Soccer had no impact from the ongoing <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/gregg-berhalter-threatened-with-blackmail-during-world-cup-20230103-WST-414243.html">investigation into Gregg Berhalter</a>.</p>



<p>In fact, US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said Brian McBride stated his intention to leave US Soccer before the 2022 World Cup. He stayed on through the World Cup and slightly beyond to help the transition between roles.</p>



<p>Following the 2022 World Cup, US Soccer began mapping out a full long term plan for US Soccer and the USMNT. That includes preparations for the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup. On the latter, this leaves the USMNT without a sporting director, general manager and head coach before the biggest tournament in the history of the side.</p>



<p>US Soccer hired a firm named Sportsology to oversee the recruitment of a new sporting director. Moreover, Parlow Cone added that Sportsology will be reviewing the total structure of US Soccer. That could be a change in the roles and responsibilities of a sporting director or general manager.</p>



<h2>Stewart and McBride leave vacancies in US Soccer</h2>



<p>It is certainly a time of <a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2023/01/earnie-stewart-departs-us-soccer-federation-and-returns-to-netherlands-to-join-psv-eindhoven" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">considerable change in US Soccer</a>, for better or for worse. US Soccer wants to fill the sporting director position so it can name a new head coach for the USMNT. As of now, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/anthony-hudson-named-temporary-usmnt-head-coach-20230104-WST-414370.html">Anthony Hudson</a> is the interim head coach of the national team.</p>



<p>Cindy Parlow Cone did not name a definitive timeline on naming a sporting director. That being said, she mentioned they hope to announce one before the Women’s World Cup this summer. </p>



<p>The incoming sporting director, whomever that may be, will be responsible for naming the next USMNT head coach. For what it is worth, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/berhalter-wants-to-continue-role-with-usmnt-20230106-WST-414575.html">Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate</a> in the hunt for that role. Parlow Cone and Batson maintained that nothing changed in terms of Berhalter’s investigation, as that is being conducted independently.</p>



<h5>Major changes at US Soccer</h5>



<p>Generally speaking, tenures at the international level are shorter. That is particularly true with head coaches, as in the last four World Cups the side competed in, it had four different coaches.</p>



<p>Earnie Stewart was the first sporting director for US Soccer. He took on that role in the summer of 2019. Brian McBride had a storied career as a US international. The next GM of the USMNT will help the head coach on depth charts, monitoring players across the globe, driving technical alignment between youth teams and so on.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire</em></p>


US Soccer parts ways with Earnie Stewart and Brian McBride

US Soccer announced major changes on Thursday morning, as Earnie Stewart and Brian McBride will step away from the federation.

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US Soccer parts ways with Earnie Stewart and Brian McBride