All week long, the U.S. men’s national team’s players danced around the subject. They had no doubt been instructed to do so. The deal to sign Mauricio Pochettino had yet to be finalized and there were still hurdles to clear. He wasn’t officially the coach yet.
That all changed on Tuesday night about an hour before kickoff, when U.S. Soccer confirmed that the Argentinian manager had officially signed on. A month-long wait is now over. Pochettino has arrived.
The players, of course, found that news out on Tuesday as well. They were briefed on the upcoming announcement, having spent the last few weeks like the rest of the world: watching and waiting. They were also free to talk about Pochettino’s hiring and what it means for the team.
Largely, there was a message of excitement. The slate is clean and chances will be there. Everything is about to change.
There was also a message about that change, with many, including the team’s biggest star, calling it necessary. Pochettino has his work cut out for him, particularly after two rough September performances. The USMNT’s players know that things will be different from this point forward, and that’s a good thing.
Here’s what the USMNT had to say about Pochettino’s hiring after Tuesday night’s draw with New Zealand: