US Soccer issues statement on Mauricio Pochettino's future with Team USA after World Cup

When Mauricio Pochettino was hired arsenic the caput manager of the US Men's National Team conscionable nether 2 years ago, it was wide viewed arsenic a coup for US Soccer.

Pochettino brought an extracurricular perspective, a stark departure from Gregg Berhalter, whose acquisition arsenic a manager was mostly successful MLS. He'd coached players astatine the highest level of European competition, with stints astatine Tottenham Hotspur successful the English Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain successful Ligue 1, and Chelsea, backmost successful the EPL.

His tenure got disconnected to a spot of a rocky start, past successful the largest tourney anterior to the World Cup, his USMNT mislaid 2-1 successful the Gold Cup Final to Mexico. Albeit with immoderate arguable refereeing decisions going Mexico's way.

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Head manager Mauricio Pochettino watches during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D lucifer betwixt the United States and Paraguay astatine Los Angeles Stadium successful Los Angeles, Calif., connected June 12, 2026. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

But arsenic with astir nationalist squad managers, Pochettino was ever going to beryllium judged based connected the USMNT's show successful the 2026 World Cup. And determination it's, well, a spot of a mixed bag. The archetypal lucifer against Paraguay successful Los Angeles was jaw-dropping. A ascendant 4-1 victory, playing a marque of aggressive, attacking shot with composure, coordination, and outstanding question that had virtually ne'er been seen earlier from a US team.

They handled Australia 2-0, earlier dropping a meaningless crippled against Turkey with the backups replacing astir starters. Advancing retired of the radical signifier was 1 thing, but winning it successful ascendant manner was another. Still, the knockout signifier has been yet different hurdle for the USMNT to overcome, and successful possibly the astir encouraging motion yet, they did truthful easily.

Yes, Bosnia and Herzegovina was outmatched connected talent, but the resilience the squad displayed aft prima Florian Balogun was sent disconnected with a arguable reddish paper was impressive. As was the apical level escaped footwear extremity from Malik Tillman. That triumph acceptable up arguably the biggest accidental for a USMNT squad successful decades: bushed Belgium successful a location World Cup to beforehand to the quarterfinals.

We each cognize however that turned out. A devastating 4-1 loss, wherever the USMNT someway reverted backmost to the signifier astir long-time fans are acquainted with. Poor coordination, atrocious backmost enactment play, excessively galore mislaid balls from the team's champion players, and unforgivable, inexcusable mistakes.

Christian Pulisic of the United States is consoled by Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of the United States, aft being substituted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt USA and Belgium astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. (John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)

So however bash you justice Pochettino's performance? Well, that's precisely what US Soccer has to do. And they issued a connection aft their World Cup exit seemingly implying that they privation him backmost and the determination lies with him.

"We had affirmative conversations with Mauricio earlier the World Cup astir the future," the connection says. "We agreed we would proceed those conversations pursuing a accidental to remainder and bespeak station World Cup. We person a large woody of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his unit and everyone portion of the program. We person shared excitement astir our imaginable and besides shared clarity astir the magnitude of enactment astatine each levels inactive required to execute our ambition."

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Pochettino himself said helium intends to instrumentality immoderate clip to deliberation astir his aboriginal and what the federation wants.

"In the adjacent fewer weeks, we tin commencement to speech if the federation wants to talk," helium said aft the match. "Right present it’s astir resting a small bit, to think, to person conversations with the federation to spot what the determination is. I’m truthful happy. We’ve built a precise bully relationship. Now is not a infinitesimal to speech astir [my future]."

He'll surely person options, whether that's backmost successful the Premier League, oregon successful Italy, oregon elsewhere. But retaining Pochettino should beryllium a apical precedence for US Soccer.

His adjustments astatine halftime brought the USMNT close backmost into the match, and it doesn't autumn to him that 38-year-old Tim Ream was the champion disposable halfway back. Or that the starting goalkeeper rather virtually kicked the crushed erstwhile attempting to wide the ball, starring straight to a Belgium goal. While there's justifiable vexation implicit going retired successful the Round of 16 yet again, it's wide that the US subordinate excavation is the champion it's ever been. And getting better.

United States manager Mauricio Pochettino looks connected during the planetary affable lucifer betwixt the United States and Portugal astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected March 31, 2026. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

There are galore structural issues to code with however shot is coached and administered astatine the younker level, which autumn much connected US Soccer than the USMNT caput coach. But arsenic acold arsenic squad selection, development, and tactics, determination aren't galore coaching options disposable that would beryllium a amended prime for the US. Outside of highly improbable swings astatine idiosyncratic similar Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, oregon Jurgen Klopp. And Klopp is already heavy successful talks to instrumentality implicit the German National Team aft different disastrous exit.

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This is simply a pivotal clip for US Soccer, and it's highly important to get this adjacent rhythm right. Hopefully they do.