The Latest Breaking News from Gregg Berhalter

DOHA, Qatar — The education of Gregg Berhalter began at an elite boarding school in New Jersey and continued at the University of North Carolina. And while that book learning was fine and all, neither school taught Berhalter the subject he really wanted to study, which was soccer.

Playing a European power for a place in the quarters is not something the U.S. is taking lightly, even if the mood on the eve of the match was relaxed.

Some thoughts from afar on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as it heads to the knockout stage:

As long as Christian Pulisic is medically cleared, he’ll be out there vs. the Netherlands, looking to make his goal vs. Iran a footnote on an even grander story.

The youngest skipper at the Qatar World Cup has starred in midfield for the Americans while winning praise for his wisdom and leadership off the pitch

Leeds United have a vested interest in USA medical reports this week and the subsequent knock-on effect for their stars Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams

Three USMNT stars picked up injuries during their 1-0 win over Iran and now Gregg Berhalter faces a nervous wait ahead of the last-16 clash with the Netherlands

European teams in the World Cup have largely been kryptonite to the U.S., and another, the Netherlands, stands in between the Americans and the quarterfinals.

On the face of it, you’d rather finish first in a World Cup group and play a second-place finisher than the other way around. But for the U.S. men’s soccer team, finishing second in Group B in Qatar might have produced a better matchup for them than finishing first would…