Opinion: Mauricio Pochettino could be a great hire, but ceiling for USMNT isn’t high

Mauricio Pochettino was named the next U.S. men’s national team manager on Tuesday.

It was rightfully plauded as a next-step hire for a fan base whose expectations have far exceeded practicality.

Will it make a difference in the probability of the U.S. winning the 2026 World Cup? No, no it won’t. For many reasons, none having to do with him, the United States Soccer Federation, or MLS, which are the common blame targets whenever the team doesn’t reach the goals of an overly optimistic fan base.

Pochettino has managed some of the world’s best-known clubs – Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur – and others where he established himself as an up-and-coming manager – Southampton and Espanyol. His resume surpasses previous U.S. managers Gregg Berhalter (Columbus isn’t Chelsea), and Bruce Arena, though that one only to a degree. Arena, after all, has won trophies, something Pochettino hasn’t done much of, other than in France.

There is a lot to like about the hire. Pochettino brings the experience of managing smaller clubs, where talent must be maximized with no room for sentimentality, and bigger clubs, where the job can be as much about ego-soothing as tactics.

What’s in it for Pochettino remains to be seen. It’s a no-lose, no-win situation for him.

The reason that Pochettino can’t win, but also not lose, is simple. Until the U.S. develops more talent, it has reached its level, which is a decent team but not one that will be able to consistently truly compete with Argentina, Spain, Brazil, France, Germany or England. The U.S. should dominate CONCACAF, it should get out of its group in the World Cup.

That’s going to be about it. You’ve seen it for years and years, if you’re long-term supporter, or matches and matches, if you’re a recent supporter.

Talent is the difference. Always. Forever. Talent. Most teams in most sports will only go as far as the talent of the roster. Those with the most talent will win. It’s not about the manager. It’s not about the tactics. Most tactics work because the players are talented enough to execute. Tactics rarely make players brilliant. The U.S. doesn’t yet have enough of it. It has several good players. Tim Weah, Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie are starters on some of the more impactful clubs in Europe.

However, they are just good players. They aren’t world-class players. Look at the best national teams in the world. They are two- to three-deep at each position.

There is perhaps one world-class player (Christian Pulisic) on the U.S. men’s national team.

Brad Guzan, who played 64 times for the U.S., was asked on Tuesday about the impact a manager can have on a national team.

“He’s the manager, and his job is to manage the game in terms of substitutions, in terms of tactics, in terms of shape, ideas, of what he wants the team to do, whether that’s press high, whether it’s to drop off and defend in a low block, whether it’s to be in a mid block, whatever it may be, right? And so his job is to then give those ideas and those principles to a group of players, to then try and go and implement those ideas. He can’t go on the field and cross the ball and then run into the box and head it into the goal. He can’t go and play goalkeeper and make a save and defend the guy. He can’t do those things. He can pick a team. He can set them up in a way that he believes will be successful. At the end of the day, the players have to.”

That’s why Pochettino won’t be the difference-maker many hope for in terms of results.

So what should be expected of Pochettino? How can he help the U.S. men’s national team improve, perhaps for 2026 but especially for 2030?

The first thing will be to take a hard look at the roster and gear all decisions toward the 2026 World Cup. That means no more sentimentality for players who aren’t getting time with their clubs. There is no substitution for game minutes when it comes to helping the national team. Part of the reason the U.S. crashed out of Copa America was Berhalter’s reliance on players who were getting next to no minutes for their clubs and expecting them to step in and be up to speed in high-stakes national team matches.

The second thing will be to have the courage to pick some players who may have been consistently overlooked and experiment with them to see how they may do with the national team. That group includes strikers Josh Sargent and Brandon Vazquez.

Still, there’s only so much he, or whomever is next, will be to accomplish until the talent pool deepens.

It’s a good hire. Truly.

It’s just not enough.

Not yet.

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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup