Since being announced as the new manager of the United States men’s national team in September, it has been a whirlwind for Mauricio Pochettino as he prepares for his first job in international management. Sporting Director Matt Crocker mentioned that there would be a 10-week crash course for the Argentine to get up to speed with the player pool but even he couldn’t have foreseen some of the bumps ahead of Pochettino’s first camp this October where the United States will face Panama and Mexico.
After releasing his roster for that camp, which includes many familiar faces from past rosters, Pochettino spoke about some of his struggles. Visa issues prevented him from being able to travel to the United States until the day after the release and he also hasn’t had a chance to speak with most of the players outside of Antonee Robinson who he happened to meet while out for dinner in London.
It shouldn’t be taken as a drawback that Pochettino hasn’t met most of the pool because the always meticulous manager has a reason for that and a plan for proceeding both during and after this camp.
“I didn’t want to call only for the reason to say, ‘I called some guy or another.’ Of course, from now we’re going to be more in contact with players. Not only the players that are going to be in the roster for this camp but also the players that we want to see or maybe we’re thinking about as a possibility for the future,” Pochettino said. “Not only the players that are in Europe, also the players that are playing in a different country like MLS. Players with potential, we are going to try to create these links and a relationship for them to feel that we are going to care for them, look after them, follow them, and push them. We need to motivate them that there is possibly going to be an opportunity if they perform well.”
In comparison to the end of the Gregg Berhalter reign where not much experimentation was happening with the player pool, this is music to your ears if you are a fan. Players in the USMNT pool will have a blank slate and with Pochettino’s stellar record of youth development, along with his staff, he’ll hope to be able to identify young players who could be ready for the national team now as he becomes more familiar with the pool.
It’s not something that he’s going to be able to do overnight but when Pochettino gets more ingrained into American soccer, that’s when the excitement can begin to truly take place. He knows that it’s a transition which is also why he won’t push his entire tactical identity on the players right out of the gate.
“It’s most important to be simple, players need to not create too many complications. The players cannot believe that when they’re going to arrive to their first day in Austin that we are going to be in the room spending two or three hours talking about tactics and different things,” Pochettino said. “Most importantly, we need to settle a few concepts that I think are principle and after that I plan to develop with time.”
Having watched the USMNT under Mikey Varas facing Canada and New Zealand, Pochettino will have seen the dangers of over-complicating the system firsthand when the team struggled to play out of the back and withstand Canada’s press. Now that the stakes are higher, and with a date against Mexico on the horizon, the USMNT will be judged by results with the Argentine in charge. Expectations are already rising and will continue to do so.
Especially having Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Robinson back in the squad, there are simple tweaks that Pochettino can make which will have an impact out of the gate. Even formation-wise, he’s focusing on a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 out of the gate, two setups where this team has thrived. That doesn’t rule out a back three or dual striker system in the future but when a coach needs to put their players in the best position to succeed, that’s where they have to be flexible. Good coaches can find one system to work and win from while great coaches make their systems work for their current pool of players. During Pochettino’s career, he has proven that he’s a great coach who can lift a group beyond their perceived potential, like taking Tottenham to the Champions League final. Those accolades, including domestic success with PSG, are why the prospect of him leading the USMNT is so exciting.
There will be bumps in the road and he already has ideas on things that should change. When asked about Brendon Aaronson, Pochettino said that he’s a player whose versatility he likes but that maybe he has played in too many positions so needs to find one that works for him. He also mentioned that players need to be playing for their clubs which could see major changes come to the USMNT setup if players can’t earn consistent time.
This shakeup and guidance from a coach who has reached the highest levels of the game are just what the USMNT needed. Only time will tell if the players are up to the standard but they’ll be pushed to reach their full potential starting with tests against Panama and Mexico.
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