Gregg Berhalter's USMNT firing paved the way for son Sebastian's World Cup dream - ESPN

Sebastian Berhalter knows this is all a little bit crazy. He gets it. While most of his teammates on the U.S. men's national team don't have a loved one to whom they could turn for some direct, firsthand perspective on, say, their FIFA World Cup fears or anxieties, Berhalter can ask someone who played in two World Cups and coached in one as recently as four years ago.

«It's pretty ridiculous,» Berhalter said of the conversations he's had with his dad, Gregg, who played for the U.S. at the 2002 and 2006 tournaments before coaching the Americans at Qatar 2022.

«It's pretty funny — sometimes we'll have moments where we're like, 'I can't believe we're talking about this right now,'» Sebastian continued. «I feel super fortunate to have a dad who understands.»

They've had plenty to talk about. Sebastian's rise to this summer's World Cup roster was similar to the arc of his entire pro career: Gradual. Deliberate. A bit of a slow burn. At this time in the last cycle, neither father nor son would have expected Sebastian would be in position to play a part for the U.S. when it opens its tournament against Paraguay on Friday night.

After all, four years ago, he was in Qatar only to support his dad from the stands. And not much before that, he had been considering whether to even continue playing professionally because it appeared his career might have stalled.

After a loan to Austin FC ended, his parent club, the Columbus Crew, traded him to the Vancouver Whitecaps for just $50,000 in guaranteed cash (which is the lowest amount MLS permits in a deal). He made only 18 appearances for the Caps that first season, playing 90 minutes only three times — hardly a mainstay. He was talented, sure, but far from an impact player.

But then, as