Five things Mauricio Pochettino will be watching during the USMNT's September friendlies
Getty ImagesHe may not officially be the USMNT's new coach, but Pochettino will have a close eye on matches against Canada and New Zealand
Mauricio Pochettino is not the U.S. men's national team coach. Well, at least not yet. Though long-reported to have agreed to take the job, he's not officially in place for the September friendlies. For now, the interim job belongs to Mikey Varas.
But make no mistake: the Pochettino Era has begun. Maybe not officially, but you can feel the weight of the manager's impending arrival. The slate has been wiped clean and, with less than two years left until the World Cup kicks off, there's only so much time for players to state their cases for national team roles.
That begins in this camp, which will include friendlies against Canada (Saturday) and New Zealand (Sept. 10). Varas has already shaken up the squad, calling in some new faces while leaving some familiar ones at home.
Pochettino, meanwhile, will presumably be watching on, meticulously monitoring and assessing the squad. All future camps will look and feel different, but this one already looks and feels different than those that preceded it under former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.
The new era is beginning and Pochettino, like the rest of us, can only observe – for now. But what will he be looking for? What sort of storylines will define this camp? GOAL takes a look.
