Can Mauricio Pochettino repair the USMNT earlier than the 2026 World Cup?

U.S. males’s soccer made historical past on Wednesday with the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach of the nationwide crew. The Argentine boasts a CV way more spectacular than anybody who’s come earlier than him within the position. And he racked up his resume by conducting what earlier American coaches didn’t ship repeatedly: beating groups that have been higher than his.

“His observe file speaks for itself,” stated U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker in an announcement following Pochettino’s appointment earlier this week. “He’s the correct option to harness the immense potential inside our proficient squad,” Crocker added.

The duty at hand for Pochettino isn’t brief on challenges. As hosts of the following World Cup, the U.S. routinely qualifies for the event. The shortage of qualifying matches means fewer aggressive alternatives forward of the summer season of 2026 the place Pochettino can take a look at the crew’s mettle in opposition to opponents with one thing on the road.

And the squad Pochettino is inheriting is coming off a latest failure on the Copa America, the place the U.S. didn’t advance previous the group stage.

The final three groups Pochettino has managed, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham, all featured superstars of the world’s sport. Whereas the U.S. can boast AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic, the expertise at Pochettino’s disposal can’t examine to the star-studded squads of his latest previous.

However Pochettino believes within the crew’s potential and desires his squad to ship a pleasant product on the pitch. “The aesthetic is essential,” stated Pochettino at his first press convention as supervisor in Manhattan on Friday. “We wish to play good soccer, good soccer, thrilling soccer, attacking soccer,” stated Pochettino. It’s a imaginative and prescient that contrasts with the USMNT’s latest model of play underneath former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, which noticed the crew play sensible, turgid soccer with out at all times delivering outcomes.

Requested at Friday’s press convention why he took on his newest position as U.S. coach, Pochettino cited “the problem and the potential.” Pochettino rose to prominence on the world soccer stage by harnessing potential. Throughout his time because the supervisor of English Premier League crew Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino relied on younger, beforehand unproven gamers to ship huge upsets. And his belief in youth turned unknown names like Harry Kane and Dele Alli into superstars.

Earlier than Pochettino got here alongside, Tottenham vacillated between mid-table mediocrity and “better of the remainder” standing within the English high flight. Throughout his 5 1/2 years there, from 2014 till 2019, Pochettino landed his crew in a coveted “High 4” place each season he was in cost. That meant qualifying his squad for the UEFA Champions League, a event for Europe’s soccer elite.

Throughout his first full season in cost, Pochettino introduced Spurs to the English League Cup’s 2015 closing, solely to lose to Chelsea. And in 2019, he introduced his squad almost to the head of European soccer with a historic run to the Champions League closing, solely to lose to English rival Liverpool.

Pochettino’s tenure in the end didn’t wipe the mud from Tottenham’s trophy cupboard. Spurs nonetheless haven’t taken dwelling main silverware for the reason that 2008 English League Cup closing. However his energetic, extremely disciplined, attacking model led them to make deep event runs and significantly problem for a Premier League title. And he did so by getting essentially the most from the gamers at his disposal, even when the opposition was higher on paper. And he did it with a David funds that paled compared to the Goliath conflict chests of his opponents alongside the way in which.

Pochettino spent about $542 million on gamers throughout his 5 1/2-year tenure at Spurs. In the meantime, Manchester Metropolis spent greater than a billion {dollars} throughout that very same interval. The Argentine was capable of sustain along with his rivals by giving alternatives to younger gamers and remodeling them into superstars. And he stated that willingness to offer beforehand unproven gamers a shot will proceed with the U.S. males’s nationwide crew.

“Each participant now has the door open. In the event that they carry out, we’re going to be there watching,” Pochettino stated Friday.

One of many many criticisms of Berhalter was his lack of ability to compete with the massive boys in world soccer. Simply earlier than his sacking, Berhalter’s squad misplaced to Uruguay in July throughout the Copa America. Within the 2022 World Cup, the U.S. was knocked out by the Netherlands within the spherical of 16. All through his tenure, Berhalter’s squad constantly misplaced or drew to top-notch competitors.

Pochettino’s Spurs beat English powerhouse Manchester Metropolis and German titan Borussia Dortmund on its method to the 2019 Champions League closing. Within the Premier League, Pochettino’s males completed forward of Metropolis, Liverpool and their largest rival, Arsenal, on a number of events.

Pochettino’s time at Spurs got here to a bitter finish. The squad languished within the Premier League, sitting at 14th within the desk when he was dismissed. And since his time at Spurs, Pochettino has underwhelmed.

He managed to safe his first trophies as a supervisor whereas in command of Paris Saint-Germain. However his squad featured superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and, in fact, Lionel Messi. And PSG’s monetary sources blow their French counterparts’ out of the water, making home trophy success seemingly inevitable. The membership’s acknowledged purpose is to win the coveted and elusive Champions League, and Pochettino failed to take action whereas at PSG, along with his crew getting knocked out by Actual Madrid within the spherical of 16.

Pochettino, nicknamed “Poch” by some, adopted his time at PSG with a return to the Premier League, the place he coached Chelsea within the 2023-24 season. Chelsea led to a disappointing sixth place, although the membership has struggled to seek out its footing since an possession change in 2022 noticed a consortium, led by American Todd Boehly, take the reins. And Pochettino’s males discovered momentum towards the top of final season, delivering some scorching outcomes with an attacking model of play simply as he was headed for the door.

However American soccer followers shouldn’t fret about Pochettino’s latest tribulations. They’ve gone from a coach whose expertise earlier than main the U.S. males was managing MLS aspect the Columbus Crew to a person who coached Messi and have become champion of France.

The fact of American males’s soccer is that it can not compete, a minimum of on paper, with European and South American soccer royalty. American males have solely not too long ago begun to interrupt into the higher echelons of European soccer on the membership stage. Lots of the USMNT’s largest stars have struggled to get constant taking part in time. U.S. males’s soccer will battle to attain tangible success if the crew can’t play to its potential.

However Pochettino remains to be aiming excessive.

Requested by host Roger Bennett on the “Males in Blazers” podcast what success means for the U.S. within the upcoming World Cup, Pochettino was unequivocal. “We win the World Cup,” Pochettino responded. “I believe we have to dream that we’re going to win the World Cup. I believe we have to assume huge.”

The squad is crying out for a coach who can convey the crew to carry out past the sum of its components. That’s how Pochettino made his title at Spurs, and that’s how he’ll hope to reinvigorate his profession as he leads the U.S. males to a World Cup on their dwelling turf in 2026.