One big name in the soccer world has been linked to the U.S. men's national team.
Since Gregg Berhalter got sacked after the 2024 Copa America, there hasn't been many concrete rumors of replacement candidates other than Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp, however, "politely declined" the USMNT's approach, citing his intentions to take at least a season-long break following nine years with Liverpool.
Now another name has emerged. Former Premier League star Patrick Vieira is a candidate for the opening, soccer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported Thursday.
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Vieira just terminated his contract with French club Strasbourg, so he's free to discuss terms with other teams that have a vacancy.
Nothing is advanced or close at this stage, Romano added. Michele Giannone of TUDN also reported that Vieira is one of three main candidates, along with LAFC's Steve Cherundolo and Columbus Crew's Wilfried Nancy, names that have been previously mentioned in the search.
Vieira, 48, played from 1993 to 2011, most notably starring for Premier League side Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, where he went invincible in 2004. He also suited up for Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City for at least 25 games.
His managing career started in 2013 for Manchester City's elite development squad before taking over at MLS side NYCFC. He was there for two years, then left for French club OGC Nice for two years.
Fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace then hired him in 2021, but sacked him during the 2023 campaign after the Eagles flirted with relegation, though they ended up well clear after Vieira's dismissal.
Vieira had been at Strasbourg for just over a year, but the club finished 13th out of 18 teams. The young squad struggled, with fans known to dislike the American owners who also own Premier League's Chelsea.
Several Chelsea players have been sent on loan to Strasbourg to develop as part of the English club's strategy, but the early results haven't shown much promise.
Vieira's win-draw-loss record from his NYCFC tenure to Strasbourg is a combined 111-79-102. His teams have scored 389 goals but conceded 391.
Vieira with Crystal Palace ran a 4-3-3 formation that could operate well with the current USMNT senior setup, but he was also heavily criticized for being too reactive and defensive in his approaches, which is similar to how Berhalter worked.
