Without giving a reason, Stewart told the USSF’s board of directors in a private executive session Thursday that McBride would not return, said one of the people, who, like others with knowledge of the situation, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not there. Authorized to make public comments.
McBride’s position was not addressed by President Cindy Parlo-Cohn or Secretary-General JT Batson during the Assembly’s public session.
McBride was expelled First report by ESPN.
The move comes amid turmoil surrounding the men’s program. The USSF is awaiting the results of an independent investigation Berhalter admitted to abusing his future wife When they were freshmen at the University of North Carolina in 1991.
Stewart is also reviewing the national team’s performance during the four-year cycle under Berhalter, whose contract expired on December 31.
After guiding the United States to the Round of 16 in Qatar last month, Berhalter appears well-positioned for a new contract. But a strange dispute involving the families of Berhalter and his longtime friend, former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, has complicated matters.
Reynas was disappointed that his 20-year-old son, Gio, was unable to play a bigger role in the United States’ World Cup run. Berhalter escalated the situation by criticizing Gio Reyna’s work ethic at a leadership summit in New York three days after he fired the team; The incident was private, but his comments became public. Danielle Reyna retaliated against Berhalter by telling Stewart about the 1991 abuse; At the time, she was close friends with Rosalind, a soccer teammate and Berhalter’s future wife.
It’s unclear whether the Berhalter-Reyna improglio or the idea of offering Berhalter a new contract played a role in McBride’s firing. Reyna, Berhalter, Stewart and McBride were members of the same World Cup team.
Earlier this month, Stewart named World Cup assistant Anthony Hudson to run the MLS-heavy training camp, which opens Saturday in Carson, Calif., and includes friendlies against Serbia on Wednesday in Los Angeles and Colombia on Jan. 28 in Carson. The European-based regulars, including Reina, are unavailable due to club commitments.
McBride succeeded Stewart as general manager for 14 months before overseeing all the youth and senior national teams for men and women. Stewart’s contract runs through 2026, people close to the USSF told The Washington Post last summer. The federation never formally announced a four-year extension to Stewart’s contract.
