Could Mauricio Pochettino be the answer for the U.S. men’s national team?
The former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea head coach may well be, according to a report in The Athletic that says he is emerging as the favorite for the vacant USMNT head coaching position.
The report states that U.S. Soccer is in talks with the Argentine’s representatives, and some view him as the front-runner for the job.
Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent in May, following just one season in charge. His departure was somewhat surprising despite a difficult campaign, as the Blues put together a late-season surge that saw them finish sixth.
The 52-year-old began his coaching career in Spain with Espanyol before moving to England and taking over Southampton and then Tottenham.
It was at Spurs where Pochettino built his reputation as one of the world’s leading club managers, taking the north London side to the 2019 Champions League final while leading the club to three straight top-four finishes in the Premier League.
Pochettino has never managed in the international game before, but told Sky Sports in 2022 that he would be open to the idea.
USMNT to use Varas as interim in September
U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has said he would like to have a new head coach in place by September.
But as the coaching search continues, the chances decrease that a new boss will take charge of games against Canada on September 7 and New Zealand three days later.
In its report on Pochettino, The Athletic said that U.S. Soccer is planning on using Under-20 men’s national team boss Mikey Varas as an interim head coach for those two matches.
The USMNT position has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was dismissed last month in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.
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