Sebastian Berhalter said his first World Cup has been built on the same rhythm he has followed for years: two bowls of cereal before leaving for the stadium, peanut butter and jelly for lunch, pasta marinara for the pre-game meal, Normatec boots for 15 minutes and an ice bath for four minutes after he arrives. The 25-year-old central midfielder, who was with Vancouver Whitecaps before the tournament, also said he had already scored his first World Cup goal, a point against Turkey, before speaking about the run that brought him here.
For Berhalter, the interest is as much about the name on his back as the game in front of him. He said his father, Gregg Berhalter, a former professional player and once the head coach of the US Men’s national team, taught him early what life in the spotlight looks like, while his mother played at the University of North Carolina. He said he remembers watching his dad and crying in the stadium before he understood what was happening, then added that he has learned how to handle attention because his father lived with it first.
That history is part of why his rise feels less like a surprise than a continuation. He said he wants to keep getting better and still loves what he is doing, which explains why his match-day habits are so exact. Before games, he always has a dark roast Red Eye, a black coffee with a double espresso inside, then takes a moment of gratitude before stepping onto the field. He does the routine every time, though he said he does not call it superstition. The repetition is the point.
There is still one question that hangs over the moment: what comes after the first goal. Berhalter has already given the US Men a debut headline in World Cup and shown that his place in the tournament is earned, not inherited. What matters next is whether the same calm, exacting routine can keep carrying him as the games get heavier.
