US men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter defended his FC counterpart for the work he does with the Major League Soccer side despite the latest results.
The MLS side is in 10th place on the Western Conference table with 14 points in 15 matches. The team has only recorded three victories this season, which increases the pressure on third-year coach Luchi Gonzalez.
Berhalter believes the blame lies elsewhere.
Gregg Berhalter has come out in the FC Dallas manager’s defense / John Dorton / ISI Photos / Getty Images
“With Luchi, for me, I do not think there is enough talk, he is constantly losing players or transferring players,” said Berhalter, who has called on several Dallas players in recent months.
“I think FC Dallas does a phenomenal job with youth development. As a result, they lose some of their top talent and they have to put their teams together sometimes at shorter notice than other teams. And then they have a very young group. ”
Luchi Gonzalez took control of the Texas team in December 2018 after receiving a promotion from his academy director role. He quickly adopted his own style of play, called by FC Dallas fans as “Luchi Ball” centered around possession and counter-pressure.
“So for Luchi, I have a lot of respect for what he does. I love what FC Dallas does in general, producing player after player, both for the national team and for MLS, and then to move on to Europe, says Berhalter.
“It’s a good model for other teams to look at. But it’s a tough time for FCD’s first team and there’s no doubt you want results – results build trust. And it’s just about being patient, believing in your game model, believing in your process, and things will come. ”
The MLS side recently signed young player Ricardo Pepi to an extension contract due to interest from European clubs. Gonzalez has talked about Pepi’s potential because he believes the forward has the key to the club’s offensive success.
