When Mauricio Pochettino was hired as the head coach of the US Men's National Team just under two years ago, it was widely viewed as a coup for US Soccer.Pochettino brought an outside perspective, a stark departure from Gregg Berhalter, whose experience as a manager was mostly in MLS.He'd coached players at the highest level of European competition, with stints at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, and Chelsea, back in the EPL.His tenure got off to a bit of a rocky start, then in the largest tournament prior to the World Cup, his USMNT lost 2-1 in the Gold Cup Final to Mexico.
Albeit with some controversial refereeing decisions going Mexico's way.BELGIUM EMBARRASSES TEAM USA BEFORE BREAKING OUT TRUMP'S SIGNATURE DANCE CELEBRATION AFTER FOURTH GOALHead coach Mauricio Pochettino watches during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the United States and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 12, 2026.(Omar Vega/Getty Images)But as with most national team managers, Pochettino was always going to be judged based on the USMNT's performance in the 2026 World Cup.
And there it's, well, a bit of a mixed bag.The first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles was jaw-dropping.
A dominant 4-1 victory, playing a brand of aggressive, attacking soccer with composure, coordination, and outstanding movement that had virtually never been seen before from a US team.They handled Australia 2-0, before dropping a meaningless game against Turkey with the backups replacing most starters.Advancing out of the group stage was one thing, but winning it in dominant fashion was another.
Still, the knockout stage has been yet another hurdle for the USMNT to overcome, and in perhaps the most encouraging sign yet, they did so easily.Yes, Bosnia and Herzegovina was outmatched on talent, but the resilience the team displayed after star Florian Balogun was sent off with a controversial red card was impressive.As was the t...