Mauricio Pochettino takes over USMNT ahead of 2026 World Cup
According to multiple reports, former Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris St. Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to take over the USMNT
The U.S. men’s senior national soccer team’s latest visit to Cincinnati is colored by emotions of hope and despair, and maybe in equal measure.
A USMNT Tuesday friendly against New Zealand at TQL Stadium will the curtain close on a tumultuous 2024 summer for the program. After becoming the first host nation in Copa America history to fail to advance beyond the group stage of the tournament, the Americans on Saturday lost to rival Canada, a soccer nation of increasing strength that is now managed by Jesse Marsch, a Wisconsin native.
Mikey Varas, the USMNT’s interim head coach, questioned his players’ collective mentality in the 2-1 defeat to Canada in Kansas City, Kansas. The punditry surrounding the Americans’ most recent results would lead you to believe the U.S. men’s program − now less than two years away from jointly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup − is imperiled. That’s probably a fair assessment entering Tuesday’s game.
“Ultimately, we were all disappointed with the first half especially and the result,” Varas said, “but it’s a work in progress. We’re trying to get better every day. We’re putting our hands up and now it’s time to make improvements.”
Hope for the USMNT exists in the reporting indicating that Varas might soon be relieved from his duties by Mauricio Pochettino, a 52-year-old Argentine, former manager of some of the largest clubs in the world and a figure of great renown in global soccer.
How to watch Tuesday’s game
The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. and will air on TNT, Universo, truTV, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera, according to a previous U.S. Soccer news release.
Tickets for the match at TQL Stadium are still available via Ticketmaster.
‘Poch’ watch for USMNT fans, observers
Some are referring to this week as “‘Pochettino Week’ in the United States,” and others speculate he could be present for Tuesday’s game at TQL Stadium. Rumors aside, many reports point to Pochettino taking control of the USMNT managerial job in the near future.
The excitement around this would-be hire is evident to anyone who has followed major club soccer in Europe in recent years. Pochettino oversaw Tottenham Hotspur FC to a runner-up finish in the 2019 UEFA Champions League, a championship in France’s Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain (2021-22), and restored Chelsea FC to intra-continental European play this year after a sixth-place finish in the 2023-24 English Premier League .
Pochettino and Chelsea parted company in May by mutual consent.
For now, Varas remains in charge. He addressed media members in Milford at FC Cincinnati’s Mercy Health Training Center on Monday, and the likelihood of a new coach being appointed by U.S. Soccer during his remarks.
“I just want to start by saying I know there’s a lot of anticipation of a new coach coming in − when it’s going to happen, when it’s going to be confirmed,” Varas said. “Right now, we’re just focusing on the next game. I don’t have any information to give in regards to that.”
Varas will be just the second person to manage the USMNT in Cincinnati in the FC Cincinnati era. Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after the Copa America, previously coached the program in Cincinnati for three matches. Berhalter went 2-1-0 against Venezuela (2019, Nippert Stadium), Mexico (2021) and Morocco (2022).
About New Zealand’s national team
The New Zealand soccer federation is billing its men’s matches in September as a tour of America, which started Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Ranked by FIFA the No. 94 team in the world, New Zealand comes to Cincinnati with a formidable, 21-player roster. The “All-Whites” are using this month to prepare for its 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for the Oceania confederation.
Chris Wood is the big name on the marquee for the All-Whites. Wood plays for Nottingham Forest FC of the English Premier League and boasts 34 goals in 74 games for his country.
On the initial squad manager Darren Bazeley called upon for New Zealand’s matches in the States, his side has 12 players based throughout Europe, four based in the “A” League of Australia and New Zealand and two players in MLS (Finn Surman of the Portland Timbers and Michael Boxall of Minnesota United FC).
Two players are also based at Auckland FC of New Zealand’s popular domestic competition, the National League, and one player is currently without a club.
“New Zealand is a team that, they want to play, so they want to have the ball,” Varas said. “A lot movement, so a lot of interchanging of positions. Their shape is very dynamic, and then they get the ball in the box early and often. They’ve got players that are good at attacking crosses.”
No call-ups for NKU alums
There was some hope that two former Northern Kentucky University soccer players − 25-year-old Alex Greive and 21-year-old Jesse Randall − would appear in Tuesday’s match, but neither player was called into the 21-player squad for New Zealand’s games this month.
Greive played at NKU for three seasons through 2019, scoring 20 goals and notching 15 assists in 48 career matches. Greive had previously played in some of the biggest international matches in New Zealand’s recent history, including a playoff final to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Greive carved out a career for himself in the Scottish Premiership at St. Mirren, where he made more than 70 appearances, and later at Dundee United. He now plays for Bohemians in Ireland.
Randall, who now plays for Auckland FC, had a standout redshirt freshman season at NKU in 2021. He scored 10 goals and added five assists but departed the program to return to New Zealand after now-former Norse head coach Stu Riddle also departed following after the 2021 season.
Randall faced off against the U.S. men’s Olympic team in the group stage of the Paris Olympics, scoring in the 78th minute of America’s eventual 4-1 victory.
Who’s available for the USMNT?
How the USMNT lines up against New Zealand on Tuesday should be viewed within the program’s current situation.
The Canada and New Zealand matches are friendlies, and while winning is always good, long-term progress toward distancing the team from its recent results is better even if defeat comes as a result.
The Copa America was the USMNT’s last pre-World Cup test involving some of the truly elite countries of global soccer. Now, with mostly friendlies to be played between now and the 2026 World Cup, some semblance of confidence and stability in the team would be welcome ahead of a round of October friendlies against regional rivals Panama (Oct. 12) and Mexico (Oct. 15).
Asked Monday about the decision to start Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte in net against Canada, Varas elaborated on how all of the personnel decisions were being made for the September matches.
“We’re going to balance this idea of wanting to win in the short term but understanding it’s also a September window and we’re also giving everyone who has earned a chance to get playing time opportunities,” Varas said.
Against Canada, Varas fielded a starting lineup that included a star-studded front three of Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic. Also, seven veterans of the USMNT’s Qatar World Cup roster played in the game.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona II/ESP; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 1/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 44/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege/BEL; 0/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Mark McKenzie (Tolouse/FRA; 13/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 61/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 21/1), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 11/0), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg/FRA; 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 15/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 22/0), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 5/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA; 39/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 31/8), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 12/0)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 42/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 15/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 28/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 71/30), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 11/4)
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Publish date : 2024-09-10 07:18:00
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