Meet Mauricio Pochettino: the USMNT's Emma Hayes?
The US Men's National Team welcome a new head coach, the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, in an attempt to finally fulfill their potential.
It’s official! Mauricio Pochettino will be the next head coach of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT). In early September, after a two-month long search to fill the role left vacant by nepo baby Gregg Berhalter, US Soccer announced that they’d gone out and gotten the USMNT their very own Emma Hayes.
While his trophy cabinet doesn’t look *quite* as spectacular as Hayes’, Pochettino (aka Poch, sounds like “P-ahh-tch”) is a big-time coach at the top of his game, and having him manage our baby boy eagles is a major win for US Soccer.
Emma Hayes Got the Assist
Just a few months into her own role as the USWNT head coach, Emma Hayes continues to be clutch for US Soccer, this time as a critical player in the recruitment and hiring of Pochettino. Hayes and Pochettino became friends while simultaneously coaching at Chelsea FC in England (the men’s and women’s sides respectively), and have a sweet relationship full of mutual respect.
When the USMNT job became available, Hayes called Pochettino directly to tell him about her experiences with US Soccer. She later served as a reference for him, advocating for US Soccer to prioritize him for the role. Hayes then remained invested in the process, so much so that she took time on the day of the USWNT’s Olympic semifinal in Lyon this summer, to check in with US Soccer officials and see how things were going with Pochettino. We’re happy to report they’re going well, Emma!
The USMNT Is Dating Up
Unlike when the head coach position became available on the women’s side, the role for the USMNT was not considered a top job in global soccer. The USMNT doesn’t have a decades-long history of winning world championships, a roster boasting top international players, or the highest salary on the market. But what they do have is a promising young squad full of potential that includes quality players climbing the ranks of the top leagues in Europe— Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson, to name a few. Then, of course, the FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted in the US in 2026 (with Mexico and Canada), along with all of the commercial opportunities (money!!!) that comes with it.
Suffice to say there’s more to the USMNT head coach position than might meet the eye, and luckily for us, Poch was able to see that.
USMNT fans begged US Soccer to go after the world’s biggest managerial names, such as Liverpool’s beloved Jurgen Klopp who stepped down after last season, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, and Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti. While those names were never realistically on the table, Pochettino is a massive get. He hasn’t yet secured the same legendary status as those others, but he’s certainly in the same league and the absolute closest to their level that the USMNT was ever going to get.
What You Need to Know About Pochettino
He’s far and away the most accomplished manager to ever helm the USMNT. Poch has coached some of the best players in the world (ever heard of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe?), at top European clubs Tottenham, Paris Saint Germain, and, most recently, Chelsea.
He has experience in taking programs to the next level. During his time at Tottenham, Poch led them to their first third-place finish in the Premier League in 24 years, their first second-place finish in 50 years, and their first ever UEFA Champions League Final appearance (where they ultimately fell to Soccer Freaks favorite, Liverpool).
He’s known for his ability to develop young players into top talent. Along with being a genuinely great guy whom his players love! Yet another parallel to Hayes.
He’s a polyglot! The Argentinian’s native language is Spanish, but he speaks English and French as well. Having a Spanish-speaking head coach is exciting for the program, helping expand the team’s fledgling fan base.
He’s a bit woo woo. Poch is a spiritual guy, who’s all about good energy. He’s known to keep a bowl of lemons in his office to soak up the bad energy. How very LA!
He’s new to the international game. While Poch doesn’t have direct experience managing on an international level, he already has ideas for how he’ll shift his approach and playing style from the club level to be effective. International coaches don’t have nearly as much time with their teams as club coaches do, and there are fundamental challenges that come with that. But Poch appears up for the task!
He’s the new face of this team! Just as Emma took the pressure off of a young USWNT squad with her notoriety and star-power persona, we can expect Poch to do a similar move for the men. He will give players like Christian Pulisic who is still developing as a leader (and is simply an incredibly uncharismatic media spokesperson), permission to step out of the limelight and focus on playing.
It’s About Damn Time
When former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter (aka Triple G) was hired in 2018 (by his brother!) following a handful of moderately successful seasons coaching the Columbus Crew in the MLS, the USMNT was at an especially low point. The team had just failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and veteran leaders Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, and Demarcus Beasley phased out. What remained was a piss-poor culture, a demoralized fan-base, and a crop of inexperienced, young players.
These young players, however, were seen as the team’s up-and-coming “Golden Generation,” not only dripping in talent, but the first wave of USMNT to have grown up playing in top European club academies. During Triple G’s five years in charge, the Baby Eagles gained critical senior experience and formed a “band of brothers” collective culture. Berhalter fit right in with his sneaker-centric fits and basketball-inspired bounce passes on the sidelines, but he was never remotely up to snuff as a tactical leader— arguably the most important aspect of being a coach. Despite having the talent to do so, the team struggled to be competitive against teams outside of their CONCACAF comfort zone.
It took off-the-field drama at the 2022 World Cup (and shockingly not the team’s underwhelming performance of getting knocked out in the Round of 16 after a mediocre Group Stage) for Berhalter to make his initial exit from the program. His contract expired in December of 2022, only for US Soccer to reinstate him in June 2023. Getting “grouped” by Panama in this Summer’s Copa America proved to be the nail in his coffin, and he was fired by US Soccer this July.
The USMNT fans have been over him for years, but nepotism mixed with white male mediocrity is a powerful cocktail. At long last, US Soccer finally caught up and saw the light, and the players are clearly ready for change, too. While Berhalter offered players grinding it out in Europe a soft place to land on international breaks, he was criticized for creating a culture that was too comfortable and bred complacency. Top players Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Antonee Robinson were all quoted recently saying they looked forward to a coach who demanded more out of the squad.
Baby Eagles Rising from the Ashes
The USMNT might be starting from some place pretty close to rock bottom, but Pochettino believes that transformation is possible, you just have to push the right button to unlock the team’s potential.
However he plans to do it, Poch will have to act fast. The 2026 World Cup is less than two years away, and his time with the team between now and their first game in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026 will be incredibly limited.
What will success look like?
When asked to name a target for the USMNT’s performance at the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino has said the team needs to believe they can win it all. But realistically, he says getting to the quarterfinal and playing passionate, effective soccer will be a positive result. We couldn’t agree more! His goal for the team between now and then is for them to learn what it takes to compete with top teams— finding the right kind of arrogance and style of play to set this group of players up for success against the world’s top teams.
We’re clutching our lemons already!
Watch Pochettino's first games as head coach!
Saturday, Oct. 12 at 6pm PT vs. Panama in Austin, TX (international friendly)
broadcast: TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock, and Fútbol de Primera
Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7:30pm PT vs. Mexico in Guadalajara (international friendly)
broadcast: TNT and Max
You can find both games on the Soccer Freaks Google Calendar!