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When Mauricio Pochettino was hired as the head coach of the US Men’s National Team just under two years ago, it was widely viewed as a coup for US Soccer.
Pochettino brought an outside perspective, a stark departure from Gregg Berhalter, whose experience as a manager was mostly in MLS. He’d coached players at the highest level of European competition, with stints at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, and Chelsea, back in the EPL.
His tenure got off to a bit of a rocky start, then in the largest tournament prior to the World Cup, his USMNT lost 2-1 in the Gold Cup Final to Mexico. Albeit with some controversial refereeing decisions going Mexico’s way.
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But as with most national team managers, Pochettino was always going to be judged based on the USMNT’s performance in the 2026 World Cup. And there it’s, well, a bit of a mixed bag. The first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles was jaw-dropping. A dominant 4-1 victory, playing a brand of aggressive, attacking soccer with composure, coordination, and outstanding movement that had virtually never been seen before from a US team.
They handled Australia 2-0, before dropping a meaningless game against Turkey with the backups replacing most starters. Advancing out of the group stage was one thing, but winning it in dominant fashion was another. Still, the knockout stage has been yet another hurdle for the USMNT to overcome, and in perhaps the most encouraging sign yet, they did so easily.
Yes, Bosnia and Herzegovina was outmatched on talent, but the resilience the team displayed after star Florian Balogun was sent off with a controversial red card was impressive. As was the top level free kick goal from Malik Tillman. That win set up arguably the biggest opportunity for a USMNT team in decades: beat Belgium in a home World Cup to advance to the quarterfinals.
We all know how that turned out. A devastating 4-1 loss, where the USMNT somehow reverted back to the form most long-time fans are familiar with. Poor coordination, atrocious back line play, too many lost balls from the team’s best players, and unforgivable, inexcusable mistakes.
So how do you judge Pochettino’s performance? Well, that’s exactly what US Soccer has to do. And they issued a statement after their World Cup exit seemingly implying that they want him back and the decision lies with him.
“We had positive conversations with Mauricio before the World Cup about the future,” the statement says. “We agreed we would continue those conversations following a chance to rest and reflect post World Cup. We have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his staff and everyone part of the program. We have shared excitement about our potential and also shared clarity about the amount of work at all levels still required to achieve our ambition.”
Pochettino himself said he intends to take some time to think about his future and what the federation wants.
“In the next few weeks, we can start to talk if the federation wants to talk,” he said after the match. “Right now it’s about resting a little bit, to think, to have conversations with the federation to see what the decision is. I’m so happy. We’ve built a very good relationship. Now is not a moment to talk about [my future].”
He’ll certainly have options, whether that’s back in the Premier League, or in Italy, or elsewhere. But retaining Pochettino should be a top priority for US Soccer.
His adjustments at halftime brought the USMNT right back into the match, and it doesn’t fall to him that 38-year-old Tim Ream was the best available center back. Or that the starting goalkeeper quite literally kicked the ground when attempting to clear the ball, leading directly to a Belgium goal. While there’s justifiable frustration over going out in the Round of 16 yet again, it’s clear that the US player pool is the best it’s ever been. And getting better.
There are many structural issues to address with how soccer is coached and administered at the youth level, which fall more on US Soccer than the USMNT head coach. But as far as team selection, development, and tactics, there aren’t many coaching options available that would be a better choice for the US. Outside of extremely unlikely swings at someone like Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, or Jurgen Klopp. And Klopp is already deep in talks to take over the German National Team after another disastrous exit.
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This is a pivotal time for US Soccer, and it’s extremely important to get this next cycle right. Hopefully they do.
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