Mauricio Pochettino has recently been announced as the new head coach of the United States men’s national team. The Argentine becomes the first South American to manage the USMNT and the first foreign manager since Jürgen Klinsmann in 2016.
While on the surface, this may sound like a cushy job for the former Chelsea boss, it will be anything but. The upcoming two years are debatably the most important in the history of US soccer, with the 2026 World Cup being played – in part at least- in America.
While Pochettino boasts an impressive CV, is he the right man to lead the USA into a home World Cup?
Will Pochettino’s philosophy translate to international football?
Mauricio Pochettino has built a reputation for high-intensity football that relies upon the players participating to be at a supreme level of fitness. At Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, his sides covered a lot of ground and found themselves near the top of the distance-covered charts.
Most of the running those sides did was off the ball, as Pochettino put emphasis on winning the ball quickly. This meant that his team often relentlessly pressed high up the pitch and counter-pressed whenever they had been dispossessed.
It was always easy for the former Paris Saint Germain manager to implement those levels of fitness because he was in charge on a day-to-day basis. Now, he only gets to meet up with his players a handful of times in a season, and it will be far more challenging to play in that unrelenting way that the great Marcelo Bielsa instilled in him.
Is United States Soccer ready for a superstar manager?
In terms of profile and world reputation, the leap from Gregg Berhalter to Mauricio Pochettino is vast. Pochettino has forged his managerial reputation in Europe and has done so at some of the biggest clubs on the continent.
The prospect of having someone who has managed some of football’s powerhouses may be alluring for some United States fans for a myriad of reasons. Namely, he brings a level of experience and knowledge that does not exist in America yet, as elite-level football continues to be housed in Europe.
Pochettino’s presence in the dugout also attracts a new layer of attention—new eyes on a product that is starting to grow. From a marketing perspective, this is a slam dunk of an appointment, but how will the players respond to being second in line regarding headlines?
The other nagging question in the back of some American minds may be: Would they have got Mauricio Pochettino at the peak of his powers? The answer is a resounding no; with them getting him now, does that mean his profile counts for more than his current ability? Only time will tell.
Out with the old; in with the new?
Mauricio Pochettino is famed for his trust in youth. This was evident during his time at Tottenham Hotspur when he took a squad filled with youth and vigour and turned them into a finely tuned machine, developing them into genuine contenders for both the Premier League and Champions League.
A lot of younger players have been lingering around the squad for a while now, but Pochettino will ensure that they no longer linger but instead become vital players as he attempts to get his ideas across. Players like Aidan Morris and Kevin Paredes could soon end up marquee players. This new era will see players who have been thoughtlessly picked based on reputation and past glories sweat over their national team prospects. It could potentially light fires under players who had previously coasted.
Mauricio Pochettino’s last shot at redemption
The 52-year-old’s reputation has taken a hit over the last few years. Since leaving North London, the Argentine has struggled in Paris before ultimately facing the sack and has been ousted in West London during a tumultuous year in charge at Stamford Bridge.
This job blesses Pochettino with the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of the footballing world. It allows him to take a burgeoning footballing nation and turn them into a genuine challenger.
It is make or break for Pochettino. Success sees him crowned king once more, but failure this time around may very well see the end of the Tottenham Hotspur’s legend at the top table of football.