Tough Guy with a Soft Heart! Ex-USMNT Coach Breaks Down in Tears Witnessing Son's First World Cup Goal
Former United States men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter broke down in tears as he spoke about his son Sebastian Berhalter scoring his first World Cup goal. In the final Group D match, the US fell 2-3 to Turkey, but Sebastian, who played the full 90 minutes, was directly involved in both goals — providing one assist and scoring one — to put in a standout performance.
Berhalter coached the USMNT from 2018 to 2024 and led the team to the previous World Cup in Qatar. However, he never called up his son to the national team. Now, Sebastian has earned his place on merit and is making his mark. "I've thought about this a lot," Berhalter admitted recently. "I would never pick him personally, but I truly believe things happen in their own time. Now it's his turn to write his chapter."
"That moment was filled with all kinds of emotions," the current Chicago Fire head coach confessed to foreign media. "Seeing my own flesh and blood competing on the World Cup stage was already a huge source of pride, and then he went and scored and set one up — it was almost unbelievable. That fatherly pride just came flooding over me. On the flight back after the match, I couldn't sleep the whole night, just replaying the image in my mind. Thinking about all the obstacles he had overcome and what that goal meant to him, the tears just came streaming out. I was completely lost in that moment."
The USMNT had previously beaten Paraguay and Australia to finish top of Group D and advance to the round of 32. They will now face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 at the San Francisco venue.
"I'm full of anticipation," Berhalter said looking ahead to Wednesday's clash. "I have a deep emotional connection with this team. Sebastian's presence has made that bond even stronger — they are all my boys. I will give them my full support and hope they can keep up their hot form. Their performances so far have been almost flawless, and they have proven they were ready for this moment. I fully believe we can shine in tomorrow's match."