Report: FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja being considered for USMNT job

FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja has interviewed for the vacant U.S. men’s national team job, according to a report in the North Texas Spanish-language daily Al Dia.

The paper cited three sources who said that Pareja met with U.S. Soccer federation officials over the weekend in Vancouver. FCD beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday night. The win put Pareja’s team atop MLS’s Western Conference with five regular season matches to play.

“We are not making any specific comments on possible candidates during the coaching search,” U.S. Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe told Yahoo Sports when reached for comment.

The Al Dia report did not say exactly who Pareja met with in Canada. USMNT general manager Earnie Stewart has been leading the recruitment process. Stewart said on Sept. 6 that he hadn’t formally interviewed any candidates, but expected to soon.

“How I look at it, once you interview, you are in a very, very serious phase,” Stewart said. “I’m not gonna sit down with 18 people.”

Former Colombian national team midfielder Pareja has worked for U.S. Soccer in the past, serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. U-17 national team from 2007-08. He’s been Dallas’ boss since 2014 and was previously an assistant with the club, for which he made 170 MLS appearances between 1998 and his 2005 retirement. Pareja led FCD to the MLS Supporters Shield and a U.S. Open Cup title in 2016. Before that, he managed the Colorado Rapids from 2012-14.

“Oscar believes in bringing young players though and has done that at FC Dallas,” Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin told Yahoo Sports shortly after the news broke Monday afternoon. Curtin played against Pareja in MLS, and got to know him when the two took a USSF coaching course together. Curtin worked under Stewart until last month, when the former Union sporting director left for the USMNT GM job after three seasons in Philly.

“They’re one one of the toughest teams to play against in the league,” Curtin said of FCD. “I’m not surprised that his name would be in the running for the U.S. job, because Oscar fits a lot of what Earnie believes in. He’s a winner.”

Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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