Just hours after Pochettino’s appointment was announced, the USA, led by interim coach Mikey Varas, played a friendly with New Zealand in Cincinnati and only managed a 1-1 draw. This followed a 2-1 defeat earlier in this international break by neighbours and fellow 2026 World Cup hosts Canada, who are coached by the American former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch.
Disappointing results like these against local rivals or teams they would be expected to beat reveal the scale of Pochettino’s task.
When it comes to the team itself, challenges present themselves throughout the squad as Pochettino will look to assemble a group that can compete on the world stage and win those regional Concacaf tournaments in the meantime.
Star attacker Christian Pulisic and proficient Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson are obvious starting points but the rest of the team is more uncertain, often due to match fitness and availability issues as much as talent.
For a new coach coming from outside American soccer, this could be seen as a positive – a blank canvas on which to draw up their plan and try to find the right balance between MLS (Major League Soccer) and Europe-based players.
It wasn’t too long ago there was talk of a golden generation of American players but, for various reasons, some of those much-hyped in their youth have so far failed to live up to their billing.
Only Pulisic has been able to do so and it is around this former Chelsea and current AC Milan attacker that Pochettino will be looking to build.
