The USMNT looked lively against Panama, playing with purpose, stringing passes together with intent. True, Christian Pulisic was on the field, and Gianluca Busio and Yunus Musah were playing their best game in a US kit; it was the best performance in months for the team.

Then came a trip to Mexico, minus various players, and once again many underperformed and were run off the field. For Mauricio Pochettino, these should be his key takeaways from his first USMNT camp.

A Team vs. B Team

The USMNT clearly is a team with no depth, and Mauricio Pochettino will have to work hard to create it. When players like Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest, Tim Weah, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, and Folarin Balogun are missing from the lineup, things come crashing down considerably.

The understudies continue to produce little for the national team, especially the likes of Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Malik Tillman, Josh Sargent, and Brenden Aaronson, who continue to get chance after chance with the national team but remain flat. Even with an ACL injury, Dest, for example, can rest easy knowing that Scally did little to challenge for his spot on the team.

In the search for players in MLS, US Soccer must make sure Pochettino is aware of ignored young talent in Europe.

One thing that stood out a lot from Pochettino’s press conference is that he wants to search in MLS for talents for the national team. The problem is that realistically only two or three players could get looks. There is a group of players, all very young, in Europe who really need a chance in favor of the old guard players who continue to fail to produce.

Pochettino has to find a way to take a look at Diego Kochen, Gabriel Slonina, Lennard Maloney, Paxten Aaronson, Kevin Paredes, Taylor Booth, and Rokas Pukštas. Some players may overlap, but none of these players have been given a major opportunity on the national team.

At the MLS level, the biggest name the program needs to see is Diego Luna, followed by Brian Gutiérrez, and on a lesser scale, John Tolkin, Roman Celentano, and James Sands.

For some odd reason, I can’t shake the notion that Benjamin Cremaschi will find his way to the national team, whether he deserves to be there or not.

Matt Turner It Is

Matt Turner is one lucky guy. Through two full head coaches and a few interim coaches, he always seems to be the number one for the USMNT. It was telling that in a camp that lasted a week, one goalkeeper was sent home, and Patrick Schulte wasn’t given a start. Turner and his lack of minutes seem to be ahead of everyone, which is worrying.

Positives from the Camp

Gianluca Busio is a player that the US cannot let slip by. He has a soccer brain, is a good passer of the ball, and when paired with good players around him, he has the talent to be more than just a physical presence or “hard worker.” The US needs more “soccer players” and fewer “hard workers.”

Marlon Fossey didn’t play this camp, but his stock is up as one of the few who truly grabbed the chance to play for the US.

Aidan Morris can be a solution for the team—not as a starter, but as a second option. Today, Morris showed he can beat out Luca De La Torre for a national team spot.

The USMNT looked lively in their first game—while not a perfect unit, they displayed a more balanced approach, resulting in one of the best USMNT performances in months. Mexico, on the other hand, played Valencia of LaLiga to a 2-2 draw in yet another poor performance, this time under Javier Aguirre in his third stint as manager.

Mauricio Pochettino sent home various players for reasons ranging from fatigue to possible injuries. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie were among the select group who returned to Europe. Still, Pochettino has a formal lineup expected to be fielded against Mexico.

Who Mauricio Pochettino May Play in USMNT vs. Mexico

With players sent home and a new chance to test other roster players, look for Mauricio Pochettino to mix and match his squad. Expect the USMNT to line up as follows:

Predicted Starting XI for USMNT vs. Mexico:
Matt Turner, Joe Scally, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Aidan Morris, Gianluca Busio, Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Josh Sargent.

Mexico Predicted Lineup:
Rangel, Sanchez, Orozco, Montes, Gonzalez, Alvarez, Romo, Rodriguez, Vega, Herrera, Jimenez.

The USMNT has not lost in their last seven encounters with Mexico. The last time El Tri claimed victory over the Stars and Stripes was in 2019 during a friendly match, where Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez found the net.

Then a much-needed move to Italy occurred, and Busio began to gain minutes and experience with now Serie A side Venezia. He dropped down the USMNT pecking order due to preference, as Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Johnny Cardoso, and Luca de la Torre were all favored.

After establishing himself in Italy and looking like one of the better players on his club team, Busio finally got a second chance with new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, and the midfielder did not fail.

Gianluca Busio Impresses in Win Over Panama

Finally getting substantial minutes alongside the likes of Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson, who pushed forward often, Busio contributed to the team’s 2-0 win over Panama. The lively USMNT side showcased an intensity that it had been lacking, but Busio was able to provide crisp passes, smart ball movement, and distant shooting opportunities.

Busio also formed an interesting tandem with Aidan Morris of Middlesbrough, as the midfielders played off each other and looked very comfortable. Busio’s 67 minutes were solid and have left the USMNT wanting to see more of the American shining in Serie A.

For Busio, his form suggests the importance of Americans playing substantial minutes for their club teams. After an injury in the Olympics forced the midfielder to miss the first three games of Serie A this season, he has started all four matches since.

The next stop is a match against Mexico, where Busio will have a new chance to prove that he can bring the creativity and intelligence in the midfield that the USMNT has lacked for a long time.

At AC Milan, Christian Pulisic has been able to break through a lot of walls, first and foremost the banter that he was not a big club player, showcasing his talent in key games. Last season, he put up career numbers and is on pace to break them this year. The other criticism he has faced is that he is injury-prone; however, he went all of last season without an injury, thanks to Stefano Pioli properly managing the American’s minutes.

This year, Christian Pulisic is front and center at AC Milan, without question being the club’s best player this season, and therefore carrying a lot of his team when Milan becomes stagnated. Mauricio Pochettino wants to make certain that, when it comes to the USMNT, his staff knows how to take care of the team’s best player.

Mauricio Pochettino on Christian Pulisic’s Minutes

In a report by Pro Soccer Wire, Mauricio Pochettino was clear about his thoughts on how to work with Christian Pulisic this window: “(Pulisic) is playing every single game, every single minute. That is also a thing that we are a little bit worried about.

“Sometimes we need to protect [Pulisic]. We’ll see, because he arrived a little bit tired. [We need to] build a very good relationship with the club [AC Milan] and try to help. And when we really need him, he needs to be in form, happy, strong, and the quality is there, because he has enormous talent. He’s a fantastic player.”

Christian Pulisic has been red-hot for AC Milan, with key goals in the Champions League and a world-class finish against Inter Milan in the Milan derby. The American has gone from cult hero to major star for AC Milan, receiving some of the loudest praise from the San Siro crowd.

Brenden Aaronson of Leeds United was one of many players singled out by members of the media as a major underachievers on the team when Gregg Berhalter was fired. Currently with 44 caps and 8 goals, the winger has suffered from a major drop in form during his last two years at both Leeds and Union Berlin.

Now back with Leeds, Aaronson has elevated his game on the left wing and has 2 goals in 9 games for his team, looking to bounce back. That upgrade in level was seen firsthand by Pochettino, who in a press conference last week pointed to Aaronson as one of many players he wants to “test” and “build back up.”

Brenden Aaronson on Mauricio Pochettino

As the team assembled this week for their two friendlies against Panama and Mexico, Mauricio Pochettino has been working hard with the team, and US Soccer has uploaded videos on social media showcasing the drills the team is running. For Aaronson, he has already seen how things are different under Pochettino’s leadership.

In speaking with TJ Sports USA, Aaronson said, “The last couple of days getting to know him, getting to know the whole staff around him, has been really good. Feel like we’ve already learned a lot; we learned about the style of play we wanna play today at training. I think everyone is ready to learn from him. You can just see the buzz and its excitement, so it’s really good.”

Mauricio Pochettino and Brenden Aaronson share a strangely similar story; both were at one time observed by Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa traveled to Murphy when Pochettino was a boy to bring him to Newell’s Old Boys.

In the case of Aaronson, indirectly, it was Bielsa who had approved to the Leeds board to sign the American after watching him play for Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg. By the time Aaronson arrived at Leeds, Bielsa had left the club, but the decision to bring the American occurred long before Jesse Marsch had arrived.

Since the Panama defeat, the USMNT has gone winless in three games, with a draw against New Zealand and defeats to Uruguay and Canada. Now there is a new manager and a change of atmosphere around the team.

Tim Ream has already given insights on Mauricio Pochettino’s training sessions: “It’s intense. We had a pretty long session; I’d say one of the longer ones with the national team setup. Just working on basics, looked at a few things from yesterday’s training and reviewed that. As a result, they worked on some movement things—connecting with the backline, and the midfielders and the attackers all went together and worked on a few things. Just really getting their ideas into our heads, into our understanding to make sure that we’re all on the same page going forward.”

Who Could Start for the USMNT in Mauricio Pochettino’s First Match?

Mauricio Pochettino is known for favoring a 4-2-3-1 formation, although he has also employed variations like 4-3-3 and 3-4-2-1 during his managerial career. His teams typically emphasize high pressing, fluid attacking play, and a strong focus on ball possession.

Given that it’s his first match, look for the manager to keep it simple and most likely put out a 4-3-3. The possible starting XI could look like this: Patrick Schulte, Joe Scally, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Aidan Morris, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright, Josh Sargent, and Christian Pulisic.

Look for players like Gianluca Busio, Yunus Musah, and Marlon Fossey to get major looks as well. The USMNT plays Panama on October 12th in Austin, Texas.

In the end, Jürgen Klinsmann can claim to have a record of 55-27-16 with the US and is a winner of the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup and a fourth-place finish in the 2016 Copa America. He also got the USMNT to the Round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Jürgen Klinsmann spoke to CBS’ “Kickin’ It” team, where a former player of his, Clint Dempsey, is a co-host, and talked about his time with the USMNT, and also offering special words about Diego Maradona.

Jürgen Klinsmann on Diego Maradona

Jürgen Klinsmann spoke about his time as a player and a coach. When it came to the USMNT, he touched on the taboo subject of trying to get players to play at a higher level, meaning away from MLS, although he recognized that MLS has improved greatly since he was manager.

Klinsmann also gave his viewpoint on why he left Landon Donovan off of the USMNT World Cup roster in 2014, citing that Donovan’s time off from soccer was a major factor. Even though he admitted that in certain situations it would have been good to have him on the team, he wanted the rest of the players who had grinded it out with Jürgen Klinsmann to be on the roster, so Donovan was eventually cut.

When it came to Diego Maradona, Jürgen Klinsmann had kind words for the now-departed icon. Jürgen Klinsmann stated, “I also try to describe Diego Maradona as an artist; you have many world-class players… but there was only one artist, and that was Diego.

“The way he read the game and the way he was able to technically execute the game was completely from God; it was a different dimension. Understanding his life at Napoli and in Italy, understanding that he could never leave the house because people would go crazy or go to a coffee shop, never have a nice meal with his family in a restaurant, drove him to a corner, and that drove him into drugs. That makes the other side of the story so sad because he could not have a normal life.”

Jürgen Klinsmann ended the interview by not ruling out the possibility of one day coaching in MLS or another national team in the future.

The call-ups come as Pochettino will finally coach his first two games in charge of the team against Panama at home on October 12 and a unique fixture for Mexico, as they will play a friendly match at home against the USMNT on October 15th.

We break down Pochettino’s first roster, noting some well-deserved returns to the US, as well as shocks and omissions. Overall, the roster is everything we have seen before; the question is, can Pochettino make it work where Gregg Berhalter could not in his second stint?

USMNT: Mauricio Pochettino Plays It Safe

Mauricio Pochettino did not want to get too creative. The USMNT is in desperate need of a good performance and some moral wins, so possibly some omissions were left home. The biggest surprise is again in goal, which sees the return of Zack Steffen. Who will rise to claim the starting position in goal for these games remains a mystery, as goalkeeping on the USMNT has been weak for some time now.

Marlon Fossey, who impressed last camp, is back, while Gianluca Busio gets a well-deserved call-up after good play for his club Venezia in Italy. Josh Sargent, who has been injured mostly when national team duty arrives, will be a player to watch with his impressive form with Norwich City in England.

In regard to second chances, Pochettino has called back underperformers Ethan Horvath, Matt Turner, Miles Robinson, Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman, some of whom are getting what could be a final chance with the team.

Important omissions include Cameron Carter-Vickers, who picked up an injury; goalkeepers Diego Kochen and Gabriel Slonina, who were left off in favor of more experienced but disappointing choices; and Giovanni Reyna, who is also injured.

Diego Luna, who is by far one of the more interesting young talents in MLS, continues to get snubbed from the senior team, as does Tanner Tessmann, who is still adapting to life at Lyon. Winger Rokas Pukštas has also been left home despite interest from top clubs in the American playing in Croatia.

Full USMNT Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 45/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; 1/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 5/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 14/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 62/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 46/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER; 12/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 44/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 13/1), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 17/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 56/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 7/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 41/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 14/0)

FORWARDS (6): Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; 30/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 73/31), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 41/6), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 13/4)

The now 26-year-old has received rave reviews in the Bundesliga, Premier League, and now Serie A with AC Milan. Pulisic has been electric for the Rossoneri, tallying 19 goals and 13 assists in 56 matches. He has tied his total goal count from his time at Borussia Dortmund, his first club, and this season could surpass his 26 goals with Chelsea.

When Pulisic joined AC Milan last season, his transfer value was at a low. Purchased for just 20 million euros, Milan represented a “last-ditch” effort for Pulisic to prove his worth. His time at Chelsea was marked by great performances, but also by grueling injuries and constant managerial changes, as well as player acquisitions that made little sense. Today, Pulisic has doubled his transfer value.

Christian Pulisic’s Current Market Value

According to Transfermarkt, Christian Pulisic is valued at 40 million euros, an 8 million euro increase from where he finished last season with AC Milan. Pulisic is currently the 16th most valuable player in Serie A and the third most valuable player at AC Milan.

He is also the most valued American player on the open market and ranks 21st among all players born in 1998. Pulisic’s highest market value was 60 million euros, which he maintained for two years—one at Borussia Dortmund and another at Chelsea.

Christian Pulisic is American soccer’s first real deal, playing and dominating at the highest levels of club soccer. He has already won a Champions League title and scored double-digit goals across three of the top leagues in the world.

The historic player for the national team is an authoritative voice on matters surrounding soccer in the United States, and the arrival of the former Chelsea and PSG coach is no exception.

In an interview with CBS, ‘Captain America,’ as Pulisic is known, shared his feelings on the matter: “It’s great for us. To have someone as experienced as him coming in. We have the talent and now it’s time to hopefully have a coach who’s going to take us to the next level.”

Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, who had a successful stint at Tottenham in England, arrives to replace Gregg Berhalter in the national hotseat. It’s important to note that the U.S. is already qualified for the upcoming World Cup as one of the host nations.

Pochettino and the goal of solidifying a group

The arrival of Argentine coach Pochettino to the U.S. national team means steering a squad that boasts unprecedented talent, but struggles to translate that into cohesive performance during matches.

A somewhat lackluster Copa America, combined with recent friendlies against Canada and New Zealand that yielded little insight, paints a somewhat gray picture for the United States. They need to improve as they look ahead to their main competition: the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino will have the AC Milan star, Christian Pulisic, in his squad, who is enjoying a strong run in the Italian league and is gradually working to become the undisputed leader of the USMNT.

The highest-paid coach on the continent

It was clear that the arrival of a coach of Pochettino’s caliber would not be affordable for most national teams. However, once he signed, he became the highest-paid coach on the continent, earning $6 million annually for his work.

In comparison to other coaches in the Americas, ‘Poch’ is several steps ahead of his peers, including the current world champion Lionel Scaloni, Marcelo Bielsa in Uruguay, and Ricardo Gareca in Chile.

Guardiola has experienced MLS up close, coaching in All-Star games and through his club’s close association with NYCFC. Therefore, when he was asked about Mauricio Pochettino and the Argentine’s new American adventure, Pep appeared to be one of Mauricio Pochettino’s champions.

“I wish him and the USA—I have friends there—the best of luck,” Pep Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday. “I know he’s a top-class manager, an experienced manager.“

Mauricio Pochettino: New USMNT Manager

Introduced in a press conference on Friday, Mauricio Pochettino is looking to split his time between Europe and the United States. The Argentine left the door open to players “from Europe and the MLS,” as he stated in his introductory press conference.

Mauricio Pochettino’s contract with the United States is for only two years, until the end of the 2026 World Cup. However, there is fine print that could potentially extend the deal into a four-year agreement.