United States

5 things we learned from Mauricio Pochettino's first USMNT camp

Published Oct. 23, 2024 3:09 p.m. ET

It's been a week since Mauricio Pochettino ended his first camp as the new coach of the United States men's national team with a 2-0 loss in Mexico.

Now that some time has passed since that match and Pochettino's debut victory over Panama, let's take a clear-eyed look at what we learned from the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur's maiden international window with the American squad.

He'll give the incumbents time …

The decisions Pochettino made with his first roster and the USMNT's existing support staff reveal plenty about how the 52-year-old Argentine operates.

The new boss picked essentially the same exact squad as then interim head coach Mikey Varas had for the September exhibitions against Canada and New Zealand; the only players not included were unavailable because of injury.

And while Pochettino arrived with his own assistants, goalkeeper coach and fitness personnel, he also committed to assessing staffers who worked under his predecessor Gregg Berhalter, including veteran assistant coach Nico Estévez, through the final two camps of 2024.

In a conversation with FOX Sports last year, legendary U.S. keeper Brad Friedel, who played under Pochettino at Tottenham, said his former manager likes to take time to fully understand his environment before considering sweeping changes. So don't be surprised if most of the players who were on the October squad return for next month's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal home-and-home with Jamaica.

Christian Pulisic continues to impress & Is Josh Sargent the future at striker? | SOTU

… But lineup/roster spots are available

With Pochettino's mandate to make a deep run at home at the 2026 World Cup, the process of putting his stamp on the USMNT should ramp up beginning early next year. He'll kick off 2025 by presiding over the traditional MLS-heavy January training camp that next year will include two friendly games.

If history is an indication, one or two players will use the opportunity to earn promotion to the varsity. Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Tim Ream and Matt Turner are among the current USMNT mainstays who either debuted or won his second cap at a previous January camp, as did program all-time joint top scorers Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.

There will be chances for European-based guys who haven't spent much time with the USMNT before, too. After the loss to Mexico, Pochettino suggested that he and his staff weren't previously familiar with 23-year-old Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann, who was only added to the September squad after Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso withdrew.

Strength of depth remains a major concern

Pochettino made young players better at each of his five club stops as a coach. For the U.S. to make a deep run in 2026, he'll need to do the same with the USMNT.

That's harder at the international level. But Pochettino probably wouldn't have taken the job if he didn't believe he could coach up youngsters like Tessmann, Gianluca Busio and Aidan Morris, who all started in Guadalajara. "Young players that have amazing potential," Pochettino said of the trio afterward. "It's only a matter of time."

Until that time arrives, though, the cold reality is that there's still a major drop-off when 2022 World Cup starters like Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah are missing, to say nothing of Christian Pulisic. The loss last week proved it.

Poch the protector

Pulisic was sent back to Italian club AC Milan after the Panama match for what U.S. Soccer called "load management" reasons. (Four others left because of injury.) Pochettino foreshadowed the decision beforehand, saying Pulisic's workload was a concern.

"We need to protect him, because he arrived a little bit tired," he said of Pulisic.

Pochettino protects his players in the media, too. In his postgame press conference in Mexico, Pochettino accentuated the positive. "Wasn't a great performance, but this type of game I think is perfect for us to learn," he said. "I am so happy with everyone who was involved. We all feel disappointed because we didn't have all the players that we wanted to have."

Intensity a consistent theme

Privately, it's hard to imagine that the coach loved his team's effort against El Tri. Throughout camp, Pochettino and his staff emphasized the need to compete above all else. The Americans' lack of fight — historically their biggest strength — was apparent during the summer's flame-out at the Copa América. The U.S. won just 23 tackles over three games at the Copa, the least among the tournament's 16 participants by far.

The USMNT's battle level wasn't much better against Mexico. Pochettino will either have to quickly coach that culture into this team or find new recruits who are willing to run and tackle for 90 minutes in each and every game.

"We need to know the players," Pochettino said last week. "And the way they can compete in difficult situations."

The honeymoon won't last (and that's OK)

Make no mistake: the USMNT is lucky to have Pochettino, arguably the best coach available in the global marketplace when he was hired, to lead them toward the 2026 World Cup at home. One ugly loss — even to the Americans' biggest rival — doesn't change that, especially with the U.S. missing eight regular starters.

None of that spared Pochettino from immediate criticism by some fans and media members for letting Pulisic skip the trip to Mexico or for not making more lineup changes between games. Pochettino's reputation and pedigree have upped the expectations for his USMNT, and it's clear that that resume won't shield him if the Americans falter vs. the Reggae Boyz next month or fail to claim a fourth straight Nations League crown in March or don't win the 2025 Gold Cup next summer.

It's nothing new for Pochettino, who was under a considerably larger microscope in Spain and England and France. Sure, Pochettino was hired mostly to win games in 2026, but also right from the start. He and his players get another two chances in November, and they'll all have a better idea of what to expect.

"For us, it's a process that started days ago," Pochettino said after the Mexico match. "We can only improve and learn from the experience."

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A former staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports, he has covered U.S. men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

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