A scandal within the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team has several UNC ties.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter released a statement Tuesday which confirmed an incident between him and his wife, Rosalind Berhalter (nee Santana), when the two were students and dating at UNC in 1991.

“One night, while out drinking at a local bar, Rosalind and I had a heated argument that continued outside,” Berhalter wrote in the statement. “It became physical and I kicked her in the legs.

“There are zero excuses for my actions that night,” he went on to say. “It was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day.”

Berhalter’s statement goes on to explain that the pair reconnected months later and eventually married. U.S. Soccer investigated the incident after learning of it from Danielle Reyna (nee Egan), Rosalind Berhalter’s teammate and roommate at UNC in 1991. Reyna had initially contacted U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart due to negative comments from Gregg Berhalter directed at Reyna’s son, Gio, a member of the national team who played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“As part of that conversation, I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age,” Danielle Reyna said in a statement to The Athletic.

“Without going into detail, the statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question,” she said. “Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed. It took a long time for me to forgive and accept Gregg afterward, but I worked hard to give him grace, and ultimately made both of them and their kids a huge part of my family’s life.”

Reyna’s statement went on to say she did not ask for Gregg Berhalter to be fired, nor make any threats or blackmail attempts during her conversation with Stewart, though she did acknowledge her comments sparked U.S. Soccer’s investigation of Berhalter.

“I’m sorry that this information became public,” Reyna said, “And I regret that I played a role in something that could reopen wounds from the past.”

Danielle Reyna’s husband and Gio’s father, Claudio, was a teammate of Berhalter’s on youth and high school teams. Eventually, the two played together on the U.S. teams which competed in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

U.S. Soccer released a statement of its own on Tuesday, in which it said it “condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.”

Though Berhalter has not been fired, he will not serve as the team’s head coach in its upcoming camp this month.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Bebeto Matthews

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