‘I didn’t see the blue tick’: US boss Gregg Berhalter reveals England counterpart Gareth Southgate IGNORED his WhatsApp messages ahead of World Cup showdown
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has revealed that England coach Gareth Southgate has left his recent WhatsApp messages unread as his teams meet at the World Cup.
The duo have been in regular contact via Whatsapp, but the level of communication has waned ahead of USA’s showdown with the Three Lions in Group B on Friday.
“I contacted him via WhatsApp but I didn’t see the blue tick so I don’t know what’s going on,” Berhalter said in his pre-game press conference.
“We took a kind of break. We will resume our relationship after tomorrow.’
England are considered favorites to top Group B, among the leaders to go all the way, and are therefore expected to beat the USMNT at 2pm EST on Friday.
USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter (R) reveals that Gareth Southgate (L) has ignored his recent messages
Southgate’s side defeated underdogs Iran 6-2 in their opening game in Qatar earlier this week, while the USA were denied all three points by Gareth Bale in a 1-1 draw with Wales.
Monday’s USA goalscorer Timothy Weah said being underdogs was nothing new for the side, while Berhalter relied on his squad to win every game.
“I believe on our best day we can beat anyone in the world, anyone,” he said.
“It’s a great honor to play at the World Cup, but we don’t just want to be a participant. We want to perform.
“We think the first step is to get out of the group. And the second step is to play our best game in the knockout games and see how far we can go.”
Berhalter spoke with England at 2pm EST on Friday ahead of USA’s Group B showdown
Berhalter opened his World Cup press conference in Doha, Qatar on Thursday by wishing all Americans a Happy Thanksgiving Day.
Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Yunus Musah and co. celebrated Thanksgiving from Qatar in a heartwarming video.
Despite receiving no reply to his messages, Berhalter was full of praise for Southgate ahead of the matchup at Al Bayt Stadium.
‘[The US media] give me a hard time at times but i don’t think it’s to the extent that gareth understands but we all know this is a results driven business and we are all accountable for the results on the field, ‘ he added.
“I think he did a great job. I’ve said over the past year and a half that his record at major tournaments has been outstanding.
“He did a great job with his team. They got off to a great start and are a formidable opponent. It will be a difficult game for us.”
Berhalter completed a training session on the eve of USA’s Group B clash with England