Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterWhen the U.S. Soccer Federation appointed Matt Crocker as their Sporting Director, he was viewed as a major coup for their short-term and long-term future.Crocker was seen as someone who could lift the 'Stars and Stripes' from international tournament minnows to genuine competitors on the world stage.During the interview process, we identified several key characteristics and experiences that set Matt apart, said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. You may like USMNT youngster with Olympic background vying for World Cup place United States World Cup 2026 squad: Mauricio Pochettino's latest selection ahead of the March international break Which former Premier League managers will be at World Cup 2026? What does Matt Crocker's USMNT exit mean for US Soccer?He is an experienced leader and has had success at the professional and national team level. As we continue to build and strengthen U.S. Soccer, we are confident that Matts leadership will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals," she added.After cutting his teeth as a development coach for Cardiff City and Southampton, Crocker spent six years as England's head of development team coaching before returning to Southampton as the club's Director of Professional Football. But in April 2023, he decided to leave British shores for the United States and become the federation's highest-ranking soccer official.Landon reacts to Matt Crocker leaving U.S. Soccer: If he doesnt wanna be here, we dont want him here. I always got the sense he wasnt fully committed here and didnt really care about soccer in this country. pic.twitter.com/puUButIHVpApril 14, 2026As US Soccer's second sporting director, Crocker was bequeathed an all-encompassing remit, ranging from choosing the USMNT and USWNT's next national team managers to developing the youth soccer pathway Stateside, which had long been considered broken.The Welshman hit it out the park with his USWNT hire, with Emma Hayes immediately striking belief into an underperforming side and leading them to the gold medal in the 2024 Summer Olympics.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The same cannot be said, however, about his USMNT pick, reinstating Gregg Berhalter as head coach, only to end up sacking him after their group stage exit in the 2024 Copa Amrica.Only time will tell whether Crocker's second USMNT appointment - Mauricio Pochettino - will end up being a worthy selection.But one thing's for sure: Whatever happens for the USA in this summer's FIFA World Cup, Crocker won't be there to experience it. Instead, he'll be working with a different World Cup participant, Saudi Arabia. What to read next World Cup plans in turmoil as city withholds licence for Scotland and England games Who exactly is Ricardo Pepi? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report Mexico and MLS star facing self-inflicted seven-month lay-off ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup An already unlikable group within their own country, and now the Sporting Director bolts before the biggest moment in their sporting history. Matt Crocker wont help them score or defend, but optics are terrible heading into the World Cup. #DuelNats #USMNT pic.twitter.com/5544ZM0nXjApril 15, 2026Three years after taking charge, Crocker departed his role as Sporting Director last week to take a similar role with Saudi Arabia, with ex-USMNT international Oguchi Onyewu, Tracey Kevins and Dan Helfrich taking up his duties.Whilst his abrupt departure won't have much impact on their World Cup preparations, it could have deep-lying implications in the longer term.During his time with the England's Football Association, Crocker helped engineer 'England DNA', a five-pillar strategy to elite player development which enabled the Three Lions to escape the malaise of the previous decade and re-establish themselves as one of the best international sides on the planet.When he arrived in Chicago, he initially had high hopes of carrying this strategy into the United States and transforming their approach to player production.It's why he unveiled the U.S. Way, "A strategy and a practical toolkit to enable excellence at every level of the game." Crocker sought to intertwine the youth soccer clubs and the national teams in order to streamline talent development and allow more youngsters to receive an elite soccer education. But it's one thing to come up with a plan; it's another thing to put it into action.Tim reacts to Matt Crocker leaving U.S. Soccer:Matt, get your money. Get your money. Go get paid. Chase it. Its important. He brought Emma Hayes. Brilliant hire. He brought Mauricio Pochettino. In my opinion, brilliant hire. So, thats on his watch. Credit to him. pic.twitter.com/pot92KPslAApril 14, 2026"Sometimes it feels like 50 countries, it feels like UEFA. It feels like trying to get the whole of UEFA on the same page with a philosophy," lamented Crocker in a recent interview of his struggles to unite the USA's 54 state associations."That is the bit that is our biggest challenge. This is something that I've never experienced - it's a beast that Im only just trying to begin to get my head around."Whilst the timing isn't optimal, the destination isn't that much of a surprise. Even as the Saudis scale back investment in LIV Golf and Al-Hilal, the Gulf state is one of the few countries willing to splash even more cash than the U.S. in pursuit of their sporting ambitions.But money only goes so far to explain this choice: Crocker has clearly grown exasperated by his struggles to get the varying youth soccer associations on the same page and remove friction between club teams that are looking to protect their assets in the pay-to-play system, and national teams that are seeking fresh talent.Crocker wants a place where he'll have a blank cheque and the ability to call the shots without running into red tape.After failing to disentangle the bewildering cobweb that is US Soccer, Crocker will be hoping to breathe new life into Saudi Arabia, who, after reaching the Round of 16 in their maiden trip in 1994, have since been eliminated from the group stage in each of their last five World Cup campaigns.TOPICSSaudi ArabiaUnited StatesZach LowySocial Links NavigationZach Lowy is a freelance football writer who covers a wide range of football leagues from Serie A to the Premier League to Ligue 1. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Zach has interviewed a wide range of players and ex-players such as Sim�o Sabrosa, Louis Saha, Andrs Villas-Boas and Diego Forln. Over the past 6 and a half years, he has served as the co-creator of Breaking The Lines (@BTLVid on Twitter), the chief editor of the website and the main social media producer. Zach has also covered the Portuguese league on a consistent basis, interviewing players from various Primeira Liga clubs like Braga, Rio Ave, Famalic�o, Tondela, Estoril Praia and Arouca. He has traveled to Russia and France to cover the World Cup and Toulon Tournament, respectively.
