It may have only lasted 45 minutes, but for the first time in the Mauricio Pochettino era, we saw the potential of what the US men’s national team can achieve under the Argentine. While injuries remained an issue, with Tim Weah back in the fold for the first time since the Copa America, Pochettino had the wardrobe he has had to have a full starting eleven and they exploded in the first half with three goals. homemade floor defeating Jamaica 4-2 (5-2 overall) to book a spot in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
The USMNT struggled in Kingston during the first leg, but was still able to excel in St. Louis. It’s Concacaf’s way of surviving away from home and trying hard at home, but that’s what they did. The four goals are the most the USMNT has scored in more than a year. They last scored four in October 2023 against Ghana before spiraling under Gregg Berhalter during the Copa America, leading to his sacking and Pochettino’s appointment.
In Argentina’s first camp, the USMNT struggled and lost to Mexico in Guadalajara. Growing pains are expected but as the coach begins to instill his ideals, progress is also expected and against the Reggae Boyz, that is exactly what was seen.
Tactical adjustments such as starting Yunus Musah on the wing, moving Tim Weah to the left wing and even Antonee Robinson cutting into the midfield in possession as a full-back for Pep Guardiola could all be seen against Jamaica and worked to great effect. It even had the usual touch of Pochettino’s unorthodox methods, as reference was made in the TNT broadcast to Weah being on the left because he is left eye dominant. Pochettino has an assistant coach who controls his eye dominance, right down to Weah’s turn.
“We all have a dominant eye, don’t we? And depending on your body shape, you feel comfortable or not, depending on where the line is,” Pochettino said of Weah after the match. “What is the goal, what is your position when you receive the ball? We always try to check it, because we need to understand the player.”
That understanding is where Pochettino is, in some ways, a progression from Berhlater, who was more of a players’ coach but also added expectations and responsibilities for key members of the team. He will want to close out the games better than he did against Jamaica, allowing two goals in the second half of the game, but there it will also be important to determine which depth players he can rely on.
Tanner Tessmann is someone who will emerge from this camp having elevated his status on the team following injuries to Johnny Cardoso and Aidan Morris. He was able to operate well at the base of the midfield, which could be critical even if Tyler Adams returns to health with Bournemouth. The more depth Pochettino can cultivate, the better his team will be able to close out games during grueling international breaks like this one.
One of the reasons for the second half’s failure is that the USMNT could only make one forced change from the first leg to the second leg, with Weah replacing the injured Cardoso. In the knockout competitions, this has been a team that has run out of steam due to being able to rely only on the starters who push them to the limit. Pochettino’s goal will be to extend that to the entire team so that when the World Cup comes around, up to 18 members of the USMNT roster can contribute as well as others in the first 11.
The next January camp will be in Fort Lauderdale, where the USMNT will face Venezuela on January 18. During that camp, Pochettnio will be able to spend time with national players like Diego Luna and really begin to sink his teeth into the American soccer ecosystem. Since that break won’t be during a FIFA international window, the standard USMNT members won’t be there as they will have club duties, but that’s why it’s the perfect time for Pochettino to learn more about the rest of his squad. and examine the depth. .
This is a taste of what the USMNT can do under Pochettino and by the time they take the field in the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals in March, they are expected to put together a full 90 minutes of football to fight to win the tournament. the fourth time in a row. They are laying the foundation to achieve just that; It will only be necessary to continue moving in the right direction.
