Report: Miguel Herrera denies USMNT rumor, is ignored

A couple of weeks ago, Mexican outlet Esto reported Miguel Herrera was in talks with the United States Soccer Federation to replace Jurgen Klinsmann as the USMNT head coach. It was a surprising story, and one that received no support from other outlets in terms of corroborating stories based on sourced information.

ESPN stepped forward and asked Herrera to at least provide his take on the story. The former head coach of El Tri slapped it down:

I've been called up traitor without ever directed or received a call and have only been rumors in the media...really there has been no call or approach

That really is the meat of his quotes to ESPN: straightforward denial of the rumor. There are no talks. There has been no approach.

But contained within the ellipsis above is the following statement:

When you don't have a job, you have to listen to job offers, and if the United States is one and I don't have a job, without a doubt I will listen.

Fair enough. Herrera is currently out of work. Probably not for long, since he is a highly-rated manager. But right now, he is out of work. So sure: if there was an approach, he'd listen to it. That is news in itself given the rivalry between Mexico and the USA, but Herrera's point seems to be the need for employment trumps everything else. If the USA came calling, he'd listen to what was on offer. But the US has not come calling.

The US soccer media has grown increasingly tired of Jurgen Klinsmann's management of USMNT and would dearly love a Klinsi-out rumor to play with - but Herrera sadly killed this one.

Or not. Mlssoccer.com ran a headline that took as big a step toward implying there was something on the table for Hererra as it could:

But there are no offers, mlssoccer.com.

In fairness, the text of the article under that headline points out Herrera produced much the same response to the rumor he had been approached by the Chicago Fire. The piece describes Herrera as "even-handed" in his response to the Fire rumor, as was mlssoccer.com's headline on that particular subject:

Still, it is also noted that some Mexico soccer-watchers aren't quite buying Herrera's denials:

Xolos offering seven figures for Piojo, who is still very interested in pursuing a potential MLS vacancy.

— Eric Gomez (@EricGomez86) October 20, 2015

And oh, by the way, Record reporting today that Piojo and his staff have been taking "an intensive ESL course" these past weeks.

— Eric Gomez (@EricGomez86) October 20, 2015

So maybe there is something brewing, at least in terms of an offer from MLS. As for the USMNT job, it is news that Hererra won't let rivalry stand in the way of future employment. But the current news is mainly that he has denied there has been any contact with USSF.