For Sebastian Berhalter, a shot with the U.S. national team was well worth the wait - BERITAJA

Some kids turn up pinch video games and summertime camp. Sebastian Berhalter grew up pinch the World Cup.

He was 13 months aged erstwhile his father, Gregg, played successful the tourney for the first clip and 5 erstwhile his dada was called back. And 4 years ago, erstwhile Sebastian was already a master successful his ain right, he went to Qatar to watch his begetter coach the U.S. to the information of 16.

Yet nary of that prepared the younger Berhalter for his ain World Cup debut earlier this month.

“It’s ridiculous,” Sebastian said. “Before the game, I conscionable kept chuckling to myself, like, ‘What the hellhole is going on?’ Literally I couldn’t judge it. Playing for my country, it’s the champion emotion successful the world.

“I conscionable can’t judge that happened.”

Nor could he judge what happened next. Because aft making appearances disconnected the chair successful the team’s first 2 group-play games — both of which ended successful U.S. victories — Berhalter started the 3rd game. And pinch a extremity and an assistance successful a loss to Turkey, he already has much World Cup goals and assists than his dad.

In fact, he’s the only American pinch a extremity and assistance successful the aforesaid World Cup crippled successful the past 96 years. Not bad for your first commencement successful the tournament.

His begetter still has bragging authorities successful 1 category, however, since the 2002 squad he played for is still the only American squad to triumph a knockout crippled successful a World Cup. Sebastian could lucifer that Wednesday successful Santa Clara erstwhile the U.S. plays Bosnia and Herzegovina successful the information of 32 of this summer’s expanded tournament.

“They’re a bully team,” Sebastian said of the Bosnians. “It’s a information of 32, truthful do aliases die. I deliberation you play each crippled for illustration it’s a knockout game. For america it’s, it’s support doing what we’ve been doing.”

If Gregg provided the inspiration and the roadworthy representation that guided his boy to the World Cup team, the younger Berhalter had to hold for Mauricio Pochettino earlier he could return his first steps connected that road. That came successful the outpouring of 2025, about 11 months aft his dada had been sacked arsenic coach, erstwhile Pochettino, the caller manager, gave the younger Berhalter his first nationalist squad call-up.

He’s gone connected to make 16 appearances for the U.S., including 3 successful the World Cup. And that’s thing Gregg is convinced couldn’t person happened arsenic agelong arsenic he was coach.

“I deliberation about it each the time,” he precocious told ESPN. “I ne'er could person picked him.”

The scrutiny would person been excessively fierce, he feared, the whispers of nepotism excessively loud. Sure, Michael Bradley played much than 50 internationals games for his begetter Bob, including 4 successful the 2010 World Cup. But he was already connected the squad erstwhile his begetter took complete from Bruce Arena, who gave Michael his first call-up.

So, Sebastian had to wait. He had to play for 3 MLS teams, triumph an MLS Cup and 3 Canadian Championships and go excessively bully to disregard successful bid to get his first changeable pinch the nationalist squad — 1 which came from Pochettino, not his father.

Neither Berhalter has regrets.

“What I know,” Gregg, now coach and sporting head of the Chicago Fire, told ESPN, “is that everything is successful the spot it’s expected to be. This is really life is. It’s his turn. It’s his clip now.”

And he’s playing arsenic if there’s nary clip to waste.

After making his world debut successful a friends pinch Switzerland past May, Sebastian played 5 afloat games successful the Gold Cup past summer, past scored his first world extremity successful a friends pinch Uruguay little than 3 weeks earlier starring the Vancouver Whitecaps into the MLS Cup against Inter Miami.

So, erstwhile the clip came for Pochettino to sanction his World Cup roster past month, it was clear Sebastian, 25, had earned a spot.

“He’s a monster. He’s a monster, successful the measurement of really master he is,” the coach said. “He’s the type of subordinate who’s going to train, going to train, going to train. I mean, sometimes I person to opportunity [to him], ‘Go inside, no?’“

After stumbling successful the group-play final, which Turkey won pinch a extremity heavy successful stoppage time, the U.S. will person nary room for correction successful its first elimination game. It’s a crippled successful which history whitethorn — aliases whitethorn not — beryllium connected the Americans’ side.

On 1 side, the U.S. is winless successful its past 13 games against European opponents. On the other, its past triumph complete a UEFA squad came successful December 2021, successful California, complete Bosnia and Herzegovina, a squad to which it has ne'er lost.

There’s an omen successful location somewhere.

“Our extremity is to triumph the World Cup,” Sebastian said. “That’s what we want to do. It’s ever been our ngo and we’re still taking it 1 crippled astatine a time.”

There’s besides the family grounds book to deliberation about. One much triumph and Sebastian will person much World Cup wins than his dad. Two much and he’ll beryllium successful the tourney quarterfinals, which is arsenic acold arsenic his begetter went successful his first World Cup.

In Qatar, Sebastian was the 1 successful stands, cheering connected his dad. In this tournament, the roles person been reversed. And Gregg told his boy he couldn’t beryllium happier about aliases prouder of really things person worked out.

“Four years ago, I was waiting for him to travel up successful the stands. Now, he was waiting for maine to travel up successful the stands,” Sebastian said. “That was special.

“When you perceive words that your dada is proud of you, that’s a cool moment.”