What Hiring Mauricio Pochettino Means for United States Men’s Soccer

WHAT HIRING MAURICIO POCHETTINO MEANS FOR UNITED STATES MEN’S SOCCER – August 15, 2024 — Six weeks after the Copa America calamity that led to Gregg Berhalter’s firing, the United States men’s soccer team has its new coach. And it’s a major name, as Mauricio Pochettino has come over from Europe to take over. In fact, he’s the second straight coach to go from Chelsea to the United States, as the U.S. women plucked Emma Hayes from Stamford Bridge and won a gold medal at the just-completed Paris Olympics.

Pochettino represents a new era for U.S. soccer in several ways. He’s the first Latin American coach to direct the USMNT, which might mean a change in style and tactics for the Americans. He’s also the first manager to come to the United States with Premier League experience, as he’s managed at three clubs in England’s top flight.

What does it mean for the USMNT moving forward? Here’s why this looks like a great move — and why it’s not a sure thing.

Taking 2026 Seriously

The United States had to make a move after the Copa calamity, but they could have easily gone the safe route. Hiring another coach from MLS would have meant U.S. Soccer was firmly standing behind its domestic league and isolating the problem to Berhalter and only Berhalter.

Such a move would have placated the anti-Berhalter crowd, but also said that the U.S. didn’t recognize the gravity of the situation. Instead, Matt Crocker and the USSF swung big, first going after Jurgen Klopp before going to Pochettino. Whether or not it works, Crocker at least deserves credit for bringing in a big name with European experience.

Related: Why the United States Had to Fire Gregg Berhalter

And unlike Jurgen Klinsmann, Pochettino’s coaching history suggest he’s well equipped to handle the United States’ challenges. When Klinsmann joined the USMNT, his coaching experience consisted of Germany and Bayern Munich. Both of those are soccer royalty. Klinsmann won because he had better players than anyone else. He could beat the Panamas and Hondurases of the world (which, to be fair, is a step above Berhalter), but when he faced the world’s giants, his teams couldn’t handle the task. His recent firing at South Korea further suggests that was the case.

Pochettino started at Southampton before moving to Tottenham. Southampton is nobody’s definition of soccer royalty. Pochettino had to genuinely coach to win at St. Mary’s, and he succeeded. Then he moved to Tottenham, which is considered the weakest of the Premier League’s Big Six. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all have won both the Champions League and the Premier League; Tottenham has won neither. The last time Spurs won a title, the Dallas Cowboys were an expansion team. Pochettino didn’t change that fact, but he had Spurs in the Champions League final in 2019. If the United States is playing for the World Cup title in two years, this hire will be a wild success.

A Player’s Coach With Demands

One of the best reasons cited to keep Berhalter was that players supposedly loved playing for him. But they never showed it. His teams regularly made foolish errors that left the Americans shorthanded at the worst times.

Pochettino’s teams aren’t choir boys. His Chelsea team actually set the Premier League record for yellow cards last year, racking up 107 in 38 matches. But yellow cards aren’t crossing the line; they’re toeing the line. Pochettino’s teams play physical enough to throw opponents off without crossing the line. How many red cards did the Blues get? Four.

And this was with a young Chelsea side that was changing up its tactics. The Blues became an entertaining, high-scoring outfit under Pochettino, which led to outrage from both fans and players when Chelsea management decided to go in a different direction. His teams like playing for him and their play reflects it.

Developing Youth

The Americans had the youngest roster at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Their best players should be in the prime of their careers in 2026. And yet, they’ve stagnated under Berhalter.

That should change under Pochettino. He has a reputation for getting the most out of young players, such as Harry Kane early in his Tottenham career or Cole Palmer at Chelsea. A side that is flush with talent but thin on discipline could use an experienced touch from someone of Pochettino’s reputation.

He’ll also have easy access to many of his players during the domestic seasons. Reportedly, Pochettino plans to stay in Europe, and that’s a good thing in this case. There’s no point to having him move here when most of his players are competing in England, Germany, Italy and other European nations. The Copa America squad featured nine players who play for a team in Great Britain and four who play in MLS. Having him stay in England makes compete sense.

Where Are the Pitfalls?

Of course, this plan is far from a sure thing. Pochettino has never managed an international match. The international game is very different from the domestic game, as many a coach has learned. That’s why Hansi Flick went from unbeatable at Bayern Munich to becoming the first coach to be fired from the German national team. Flick landed on his feet at Barcelona, because he’s a domestic league coach.

Pochettino’s style might not work in international soccer, because you’re not with your players day after day. You get them for one to two weeks at a time during the season and a month during the summer. That’s not a lot of time to implement a system.

The other factor is that if your players aren’t good enough, you can’t go spend on a replacement. That shouldn’t bother Pochettino as much because he has worked in places where money wasn’t unlimited.  Besides, the U.S. has talent; it just has to be used properly. If Pochettino can figure that out, the pieces are in place for a deep run in 2026.