For the last month, American soccer has been hyperfixed on landing Mauricio Pochettino as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team. Thanks to the official announcement Tuesday night that the former Chelsea, Tottenham and PSG manager will now be leading the USMNT, the topic immediately shifts.
It’s no longer when. It’s now what.
What approach will he take? What tactics will he deploy? What style best fits the U.S. roster? And what impact will he have?
When it comes to international coaching, there’s always a focus on tactics, and Pocehttino will bring fresh ideas in that regard. However, it is worth acknowledging the realities of international management: implementing grand plans can be a challenge.
Pochettino will try, though. He’ll bring his style and his mentality to a USMNT group that is lacking both. This summer – crashing out of Copa America, then failing to beat either Canada or New Zealand over the past week – reminded us of that fact.
This team is still very much a work in progress, and there’s a limited window to make the progress needed before the World Cup begins in June of 2026, in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
What kind of ideas will Pochettino bring? What will his strengths be? What will it all look like on the pitch? GOAL takes a look.