“Ding dong the witch is dead” is what my father texted me when the United States Soccer Federation fired coach Gregg Berhalter last Wednesday.

His tenure with the USMNT was shaky, and after two stints at the helm, the messaging grew stale and the production level stagnated at best. The firing was inevitable, but now the nation faces an uphill battle just two years before the World Cup is to be hosted in North America.

Henry Zimmer is sports editor for The Outlook and Dadeville Record. He may be contacted via email at henry.zimmer@alexcityoutlook.com.