When U.S. Soccer parted ways with former U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, the federation knew that it was going to have to be ambitious with the coaching search. The USMNT — despite boasting the most talented roster in the program’s history — was eliminated in the group stage of the Copa America and lacked any optimism for the 2026 World Cup.
The USSF had to get the hire right, and technical director Matt Crocker pulled off just about the best hire he could have made.
After literal weeks of speculation and reports of an imminent announcement, the USSF finally introduced Mauricio Pochettino as USMNT head coach ahead of the team’s friendly against New Zealand.
https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1833634121333281182
Pochettino — most recently the manager at Chelsea FC — gives the USMNT a coach who has led the biggest clubs and players in the world. He took Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final. He won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain. He also previously worked with Crocker at Southampton where Pochettino led the club to its best-ever finish in the Premier League. He also coached Chelsea at the same time as now-USWNT head coach Emma Hayes who was leading the Chelsea women’s squad.
And while negotiations over a Chelsea buyout held up the announcement, the USSF was able to see the process through and get the deal done. USMNT fans were overwhelmingly fired up for the new head coach who will make his debut in October.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
https://twitter.com/herculezg/status/1833634696024007074
https://twitter.com/MenInBlazers/status/1833634386379677959
https://twitter.com/Ceruti/status/1833636880170057902
https://twitter.com/BlakeKBullock/status/1833635028338676032
https://twitter.com/ManagerTactical/status/1833634205957271700
https://twitter.com/King_TylerB/status/1833636719994016109
https://twitter.com/sophwwfc/status/1833634304548651162
https://twitter.com/NocturnalGunner/status/1833634353840312367
https://twitter.com/Nabhuto/status/1833635595262046651
https://twitter.com/MatterallM/status/1833634736742277534
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