Ex-USMNT Coach Gregg Berhalter's Heartwarming Response to His Son's Clutch Penalty Goes Viral

Although Gregg Berhalter didn't manage to guide the U.S. men's national team to a quarterfinal spot in last year's Copa América, he was present to witness his son Sebastian Berhalter's performance on Sunday.

The current Chicago Fire FC head coach traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, following his team's 3–2 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday, to observe the USMNT face Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarterfinal.

Despite the USMNT experiencing some tense moments during the game, conceding an early goal in the 12th minute and losing their 2–1 advantage in the 79th minute, they successfully advanced through a penalty shootout to secure their place in the tournament's semifinal against Guatemala.

However, things didn't go smoothly for Sebastian, who had previously been among the impressive performers in new head coach Mauricio Pochettino's team.

When he approached to take his penalty during the shootout, he sent the ball soaring into the crowd, putting the Americans dangerously close to elimination and relying on goalkeeper Matt Freese to deliver crucial saves.

Nevertheless, the Concacaf broadcast cameras focused directly on Gregg following the miss, and his expression quickly changed from paternal pride to the anxiety of a USMNT fan.

Fortunately for both the Berhalter family and the USMNT, they successfully completed the penalty shootout, courtesy of Damion Downs' decisive goal and exceptional goalkeeping from Freese, maintaining their pursuit of an eighth Gold Cup championship.

Beyond this notable appearance with the USMNT, Sebastian has been experiencing an outstanding season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC in MLS, contributing to their position at the top of the league table and their victory over Lionel Messi's Inter Miami CF in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

The USMNT's semifinal encounter with Guatemala is scheduled for July 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET in St. Louis.