
<p>US Soccer is on the verge of hiring Matt Crocker to be its next sporting director. Crocker would replace Earnie Stewart, who <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-parts-ways-with-earnie-stewart-and-brian-mcbride-20230126-WST-417038.html">departed the position</a> at the beginning of 2023. US Soccer plans to <a href="https://twitter.com/cboehm/status/1650519826845057026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announce</a> Matt Crocker as its new sporting director on Tuesday, April 25.</p>



<p>Still, <em><a href="https://theathletic.com/4442343/2023/04/23/ussf-matt-crocker-sporting-director/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Athletic</a> </em>spoke to those close to the hiring process from US Soccer. The report states the Federation settled on Crocker, who has experience in a similar position in the Premier League. That comes with Southampton, where Crocker is the current director of football.</p>



<p>Over the last three years, Crocker watched over the Southampton men’s, women’s and youth teams. Before that, he spent time with England, overseeing the youth teams. For example, he led England to U-17 and U-20 World Cups in 2017. That same year, he watched England’s U-19 squad win the European Championships. <em>The Athletic </em>argues Crocker helped establish the “England DNA” within the English FA. The youth teams and the senior squad have a similar coaching and development strategy. </p>



<p>According to <em>The Athletic</em>, those that have worked with Crocker called him the perfect fit for the United States. His development of infrastructure across the board at both England and Southampton yielded success. The aforementioned international success is one thing. However, at Southampton, he developed the “SFC Playbook” with Ralph Hassenhüttl. This is the aligning of playstyles between the A team and the B team at the club, ensuring an easy transition between each. Moreover, he laid out a five-year plan with the women’s team. The Southampton women earned promotion in back-to-back years, where it now plays in the Women’s Championship.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"There needs to be a cultural understanding of the U.S. soccer sphere." <a href="https://twitter.com/jennyachiu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jennyachiu</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/susannahcollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@susannahcollins</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicocantor1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nicocantor1</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieDavies9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharlieDavies9</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NotAlexis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotAlexis</a> debate on whether Matt Crocker is the right hire for U.S. Soccer. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ddqhG0Qg7u">pic.twitter.com/ddqhG0Qg7u</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1650463818764660736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>However, Crocker announced he would <a href="https://theathletic.com/4007877/2022/12/16/southampton-matt-crocker-leave/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depart St. Mary’s at the end of the season</a>. Now, it seems his landing spot is the United States.</p>



<h2>Crocker brings infrastructure expertise to US Soccer</h2>



<p>The main takeaway from Crocker’s experience is his development of infrastructure and talent. From 2006 to 2013, he was an academy manager at Southampton. He led the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain James Ward-Prowse, Tyrone Mings and more through their development. Applying that developmental touch to his knack for building up consistencies across teams at a club, Crocker can fit well in the United States.</p>



<p>A growing talent pool in the United States has seen more and more players represent top clubs across Europe. Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman and others are still just 20 years old. They can develop, despite some making appearances in the World Cup. Combine this with the US Youth Squads, some of which are preparing for the youth World Cups themselves, and more development can happen.</p>



<h5>Search for a USMNT head coach</h5>



<p>The timing of the potential hire of Crocker to US Soccer also answers some questions on the future of the USMNT. Currently without a head coach, US Soccer repeatedly stated it would wait to hire a head coach so it could have its sporting director’s input and decision-making. Crocker held talks with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-may-miss-out-on-marsch-due-to-baffling-hiring-process-20230211-WST-419278.html">a potential USMNT manager</a>.</p>



<p>For a time, Jesse Marsch looked like <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/southampton-target-jesse-marsch-while-us-soccer-dawdles-20230213-WST-419654.html">he was joining Southampton</a> after <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/leeds-sack-jesse-marsch-after-only-2-league-wins-in-6-months-20230206-WST-418757.html">his sacking by Leeds</a>. Crocker must have been present in the discussions, even though <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/southampton-and-jesse-marsch-part-ways-after-deal-not-reached-20230215-WST-419918.html">they ultimately deteriorated</a>, likely due to contract disagreements. </p>



<p>Regardless of any disagreements there, hiring a head coach is among the top priorities for Crocker when he arrives with US Soccer. </p>



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


US Soccer is ready to name Matt Crocker, the director of football at Southampton, as the Federation's new Sporting Director.

US Soccer names Matt Crocker as next sporting director

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<p>Former United States men’s national team defender Oguchi Onyewu is reportedly a candidate for US Soccer’s vacant sporting director job. According to sources at <em><a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/u-s-soccer-considering-oguchi-onyewu-for-sporting-director" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FOX Sports</a></em>, the 40-year-old retired player is being considered for the role. The news outlet reached out to both Onyewu and U.S. Soccer for comment, but both neither confirmed nor denied the report.</p>



<p>Onyewu made 69 total appearances for the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/usmnt-tv-schedule/">USMNT</a> in the decade between 2004 and 2014. The center back started matches during the 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments. He helped the Yanks collect three CONCACAF Gold Cup trophies, as well. Onyewu was included in the team of the tournament for the 2005 Gold Cup and named the U.S. Soccer athlete of the year in 2006.</p>



<h5>Experience in club official roles</h5>



<p>After announcing his retirement as a professional player in 2018, Onyewu then transitioned to more behind-the-scene roles. His first shot at sporting director came in 2018 when he was chosen to lead the Orlando City B team. After just a year at the position, the former defender returned to college to earn a bachelor’s degree in international business and French.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former United States FIFA World Cup defender Oguchi Onyewu is a candidate to fill U.S. Soccer&apos;s vacant sporting director job, multiple sources told FOX Sports. Read more from <a href="https://twitter.com/ByDougMcIntyre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ByDougMcIntyre</a> here ⬇️</p>— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1632907954705043457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Onyewu’s most current job with a team was with Belgian second tier club Royal Excelsior Virton. He was the club’s secretary general for 16 months before departing the team in November. He is now currently a studio analyst for CBS Sports.</p>



<h2>Oguchi Onyewu on shrinking list of Sporting Director candidates</h2>



<p>U.S. Soccer has been without a sporting director since <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-parts-ways-with-earnie-stewart-and-brian-mcbride-20230126-WST-417038.html">Earnie Stewart left the post</a> for a similar role with PSV Eindhoven. Stewart previously oversaw the U.S. men’s, women’s, and youth national teams beginning in 2019.</p>



<p>The pool of potential candidates has been shrinking in recent weeks. Peter Vermes and Earnst Tanner were reportedly approached by U.S. Soccer; however, the duo both <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/peter-vermes-ernst-tanner-nix-us-soccer-sporting-director-job-20230224-WST-421177.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rejected the opportunity</a> to become sporting director. Vermes instead signed a new contract to remain Sporting Kansas City’s head coach. Tanner, on the other hand, will remain sporting director of Philadelphia Union.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Belga</em></p>


Former USMNT defender Oguchi Onyewu is reportedly a candidate for the US Soccer sporting director job, vacated by Earnie Stewart.

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US Soccer names Matt Crocker as next sporting director

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Oguchi Onyewu in the running for US Soccer Sporting Director