Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, then you’ll be fully aware of the excitement surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as the new head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team. Already, USMNT fans are noticing some clear improvements under the former Chelsea manager.

After all, Pochettino is a coach with a solid resume to his name. The fact that the U.S. Soccer Federation was able to attract such a well-known manager is a real coup, although the opportunity is a big one with the World Cup on the horizon and the abundance of young American talent the Argentine will be able to develop. In fact, it’s something the former Paris Saint-Germain defender was clearly interested in given his comments when he landed the job back in September.

Following the appointment, Mauricio Pochettino said: “The decision to join US Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on. The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here – those are the things that inspired me. I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”

A man who is evidently still desperate to win things after a somewhat harsh exit from Chelsea last season, the opportunity to live in the country must also have won Pochettino over. Likewise, escaping Europe undoubtedly appealed to a manager who has had a relatively tough time in both Ligue 1 and the Premier League in recent times, with a fresh start in a thriving soccer landscape clearly being enticing. American soccer could certainly reap the rewards in the process.

Pochettino is tactically astute 

Arguably the main reason behind Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment is due to his impactful coaching methods. As seen at clubs like Tottenham, he likes his sides to play a high-pressing, attacking style of football. It’s a way of playing that saw Tottenham reach the Champions League final against the odds, with his favored 4–2–3–1 formation resulting in an attack-minded, controlled approach.

Pochettino’s appointment makes a lot of sense from a tactical viewpoint. In the past, American teams have been a tad naive at times, particularly in the bigger games. Pochettino’s undoubted experience will, therefore, benefit the players and produce some entertaining performances for fans to enjoy. This has already been exhibited against the likes of Costa Rica, Venezuela and Jamaica, with plenty of goals being scored and a more open and expansive style going down well with supporters.

It’s also a style that his former club, Tottenham Hotspur, have been missing. Arguably, Spurs haven’t replaced Pochettino since he left the club in 2019. These days, fans are backing Spurs for relegation when it comes to betting, with the club going through a real rough patch in recent times. Tottenham’s loss is most definitely American soccer’s gain, though, with the tactically astute manager clearly having a point to prove after departing Spurs under a dark cloud and leaving Chelsea in a somewhat harsh manner last season.

Now, American soccer has an esteemed man in the biggest role in the country, with his tactical intelligence and big game know-how capable of taking the team up a level or two in the biggest, game-defining moments.

Pochettino improves players

With highly talented young players like Benjamin Cremaschi and Diego Luna to work with, plus a whole host of other emerging prospects, Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival could also see some more stars being born. The respected coach is known to work closely with individual players and work on various aspects of their game in huge detail. In the past, Pochettino has been credited with helping players like Conor Gallagher at Chelsea, who is now playing for Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, Enzo Fernandez, who is still a key player for the Blues, and a number of his former Tottenham players who achieved some of the finest moments in the club’s history during his time in charge of the club.

Even some of today’s most famous players are in awe of the current USMNT coach, with Chelsea’s finest player, Cole Palmer, clearly enjoying his time working under Pochettino. When asked if he had made him a better player, Palmer said: “Yes. He’s given me the freedom to play my stuff and I like it when he frees you because I feel I can express my stuff more.”

Palmer added: “I’m loving it. Every day he’s talking to you about different things, not just football things but life things as well. He’s good at making you feel good and trying to get the best out of you.”

Pochettino is a great man-manager

As Cole Palmer alluded to, another clear benefit to the USMNT setup is undoubtedly Mauricio Pochettino’s man management style. A great man-manager who players thrive under, Pochettino is known to get on well with his players. A likable personality on the whole and a charming character whom the press is also warm to, Pochettino rarely falls out with his players, and he treats them like people. In fact, whenever he has departed clubs, numerous messages of support on social media have come flooding in from world-class operators, with one of the sport’s finest goal-getters, Harry Kane, clearly having a lot of love for his former coach.

On Pochettino, the current Bayern Munich striker said: “Mauricio was an amazing manager for me. Great person, great, great coach. He helped me a lot to get to where I am now. So I’m really appreciative of him. Everyone has their career, everyone has their future. So all I can say is I wish him all the best.”

A popular figure in the locker room and a coach who knows how to get results, it feels like the USMNT has finally found the right man for the job.

By Chris Bates