The Rondo UWMNT Edition: How will Mauricio Pochettino change team, tactics, and 2026 World Cup expectations?
GettyGOAL US writers analyze the reported Pochettino hire, and how he can reinvigorate the USMNT after a disappointing Copa America
So, the U.S. finally gets their man. Former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino didn't figure much among the first batch of candidates linked with the job after Gregg Berhalter was fired six weeks ago. But after it was widely reported Thursday that Pochettino had he agreed to coach the team, he seems like an excellent hire by US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker.
Will he change the fortunes for the USMNT, who have lacked an elite coach for nearly a decade? Especially with the 2026 World Cup just two years away? Pochettino fits that mold in every way.
But there are still some questions to be asked. "Poch" has never coached at an international level, and although he and Crocker worked together at Southampton, there will still be some valid concerns about having a non-American manager at the helm of the program.
It's a lot to break down, so the GOAL US writers tackle his hiring, what it means, and how expectations might change in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
