Mauricio Pochettino sees “enormous responsibility” in the USMNT job ahead of the first game

The day before the US men’s national team takes on Panama in the first game under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine said he understands the responsibility and opportunity he has in taking over the team less than two years before a home World Cup .

To be honest, that was part of the appeal of the job.

“The World Cup took place in 1994…that was a massive event and (it was said) that it would change the way we looked at sports, soccer, in the United States. And I think now this will happen for the second time,” Pochettino, 52, said in a roundtable interview with reporters Friday afternoon in Austin, Texas. “It is a huge responsibility for us to provide our fans with a sport that can be exciting and entertaining, like other sports here that are popular in the country. “That is our responsibility. It’s a huge, huge responsibility.

“The sport needs the fans to be there, win, lose, play well or not play well, because together we have to build the self-confidence and confidence that we can get there in two years (at the 2026 World Cup) and be truly competitive .” and to be proud of a sport that may not have been born here, but belongs here.

“This is going to be really important. Without the fans it’s impossible. We need fans to accept this idea. Because, as you say, in Germany, in Argentina, in Brazil (football ranking No. 1). Why? Why is football there or football there the number one priority? Because the fans. Without the fans, football in Spain or England would certainly not be above any other sport.”

Pochettino’s first camp with the US men’s national team was an intensive immersion in the changes he wants to bring about. This has manifested itself this week in longer training sessions so that he can introduce and practice his new philosophies, but also in many moments off the field. Pochettino has tried to take players aside for individual meetings, 10 minutes here and 30 there, so he can get to know his team – and they can get to know him.

Pochettino said he was pleased with how quickly the group – the 25 players and officiating staff – adopted the changes and different approach. It strengthened his belief that the team can do something special.

“If we are able to transfer that to the competition, to the way we all work together, staff plus players, players plus staff, we will certainly do our best and (opponents) will have to be careful.” said Pochettino said. “I (I’m not talking specifically about) tomorrow or Tuesday (against Panama in Austin and then Mexico in Guadalajara). In the medium to long term we can create a very strong team that will be very difficult to play against.”

When asked how he wants his teams to play and whether that style would suit this player pool, the former Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach said his ultimate goal with the USMNT is to win. There are hallmarks of how he wants to play, Pochettino said, but those ideas should never be seen as inflexible.

“People (managers) sometimes say: ‘This is my philosophy, my idea, and I will die with my idea,'” Pochettino said. “No, I want to live because life is great. I want to be smart and win. I don’t want to die.”

Meeting reporters after training, Pochettino reiterated this sentiment. The player pool at international level is limited to those eligible to represent a specific country. There is no transfer market to improve weaker areas in your squad. Pochettino, who played 20 times for Argentina between 1999 and 2002, returned to the national team and was asked about his ability to adapt to this new reality. He said he believes the globalization of the sport has produced flexible players capable of playing in different styles of play, pointing to several members of the U.S. team who named their clubs as examples of how capable players are to enter high-level systems and adapt to their different styles.

“Today the players are so, so, so well informed about tactics and all the development opportunities on the pitch,” said Pochettino. “We just have to create a way that everyone, or 99 percent, or 95 percent, or 90 percent, accepts this idea and agrees that this is the best way to get close to victory.”

Pochettino was asked about the fact that several USMNT regulars are not receiving consistent minutes with their European clubs. This month, in an interview with CNN Deportes in his native Spanish, he said players who play regular minutes in MLS could potentially break into the national team under him.

“Today we see great players like (Lionel) Messi competing in the MLS and it is important for us to convey that the MLS is a competitive league and that by participating in the MLS you also play in the US national team “Team that competes in the best way and fights for great things,” he said. “We also have to believe that the players who compete in MLS have the opportunity to showcase their talent in the national team.

“There are a lot of players in Europe who don’t play much and don’t compete. And there are other players who play in MLS or other leagues. Maybe these players are in better shape than players who might not be competing on a weekly basis.”

Pochettino did not shy away from these comments when asked whether players who are currently not getting minutes in Europe would be better off getting them at a less prestigious club.

“They know they have to be competitive because it is important to be fit to perform,” Pochettino said. “What I expect from the players who are not playing normally for their clubs is that they work really hard during the week to try to convince the manager of the opportunity to play. But if they can’t do it for other reasons, they will come here (on international duty) and be able to perform for us.”

He said that while he did not want players who do not play regularly for their club to feel like they are not being called up, there may be cases where seeking a move to a new team is important in order to get in the best possible shape to come to the World Cup.

This is all part of the process of getting the US squad to the best possible level for the summer of 2026, said Pochettino.

This camp and the games in the coming days are the first steps towards that goal.

(Top photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)