USMNT players give Mauricio Pochettino his flowers before Manchester United exit
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga.— Under normal circumstances, Thursday’s U.S.
men’s national team training would have been just another practice before the Americans face Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League beginning Saturday. Instead, reporters gathered under the Georgia sun on a picturesque fall day, waiting and watching every move USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino made as he walked onto the practice pitch.The training was one of the final ones that he will conduct as head coach of the national team after multiple reports came out that he would be taking over as manager of Manchester United. Pochettino will go to the Premier League club on a 2 ¹/₂-year contract, but is expected to remain at the helm through the USMNT’s two matches against Haiti, with the first taking place Saturday in Miami. Players at the team’s camp just outside of Atlanta have been dealing with reports about Pochettino and Man United since Monday. But Thursday seemed to have an odd feeling around camp. In a seemingly salient moment during training, Pochettino made a point to walk back toward a team staffer and give him a hug along with a pat on the back, before the soon-to-be United coach started walking toward the pitch.
The two put their arms around each other one more time before going about their normal business. Sebastian Berhalter indicated when he met with reporters that the players had not been spoken to about what had been transpiring with Pochettino and Folarin Balogun acknowledged that the players are aware of the various reports that have come out. The realization that Pochettino’s time with the USMNT is coming to an end quicker than expected seemed to wash over Berhalter and Balogun at times as they fielded questions about the Argentine’s impact on the program, as well as themselves. Berhalter, in particular, gave a heartfelt message of appreciation for what Pochettino has done for him. “Personally, on the field and off the field, he’s done a lot for me,” he ...