Mauricio Pochettino asked the US to believe in his project. Did he believe in it himself?

The coach’s tenure with the USMNT brought a whiplash of highs and lows. He met some goals but also left many with the impression he never truly bought in

It did not take US men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino very long to take his first big swing.

He’d just taken the reins of the program after a disastrous performance at the 2024 Copa América cost his predecessor his job, with the first home World Cup in three decades looming on the horizon. The federation introduced him in New York City, on the 24th floor of a building overlooking the Hudson River. In short order, he was asked about the culture surrounding the program. In his answer, he invoked the four-time World Cup champion US women.