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The United States Soccer Federation is still looking for a new permanent head coach for its Men’s National Team. For now, the man captaining the ship will continue to do so. According to a report by Paul Tenorio of The Athletic, American interim manager Dave Sarachan has signed a contract extension to continue as interim mananger through the end of 2018.
BREAKING: US Soccer extends contract of interim #USMNT head coach Dave Sarachan, @PaulTenorio reports https://t.co/nHurybpXKs
— The Athletic Soccer (@TheAthleticSCCR) June 28, 2018
The move comes after a set of friendlies in May and June where Sarachan led the team to a 1-1-1 record: a 3-0 home win against Bolivia in Pennsylvania, a 2-1 loss to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, and a 1-1 draw against France in Lyon. Sarachan, holding a 2-1-3 record during his stint as interim manager, will prepare to coach the USMNT as they begin their Kickoff Series in September with home matches against Brazil and Mexico.
According to Tenorio, the move of extending Sarachan’s contract will have no effect on the timeline of selecting a permanent head coach for the team. USMNT general manager Earnie Stewart, who does not assume the role full-time until August 1st, will still be able to hire a new coach along the way. Who that will be remains to be seen, but this contract will not alter the process of that selection.
One player has openly called for Dave Sarachan to have the interim tag dropped from his title. Tim Weah, one of the young bright stars that has featured in USMNT matches this year, told Sports Illustrated earlier this week that Sarachan was “the right man for the job” based on the confidence he gives the younger players to grow together as a team. Is this latest extension a full audition for Dave Sarachan for the permanent job? Only time will tell.