Pochettinos USMNT Honeymoon Ends: Fans Turn on Manager After Disappointing Losses

Mauricio Pochettino's arrival as the new manager of the U.S. men's national team was met with high expectations and excitement, with fans eagerly anticipating his ability to elevate the team. For six months, Pochettino's aura and mystical quirks were celebrated by fans, who stopped him for selfies and chanted his name. However, his tactics came under scrutiny after two consecutive losses to Panama and Canada, and the hype surrounding his arrival began to fade. As the pressure on Pochettino increased, his tactics were questioned, and fans began to turn their blame on him. When he played Yunus Musah, a strong central midfielder who is anemic in the final third, as a winger, fans questioned his decision rather than celebrating his ingenuity. Similarly, when he left Gio Reyna and Diego Luna on the bench for 90 minutes without providing any creativity, he was repeatedly asked "Why?" Pochettino seemed to realize the situation as he stewed on Sunday's loss, and he softened his criticism of the team. He begged for time, optimism, and calm analysis, but questions about his ability to elevate the USMNT began to swirl around him. Longstanding concerns about an all-controlling manager's fit in the international game became more mainstream, and Pochettino spoke about "discovering" a "different way to work" because he hardly gets any time to understand and "feel" and mold his players. Despite U.S. Soccer's investment in Pochettino, a growing number of fans are beginning to question whether it was a foolish bet. Pochettino's potential impact is limited, as he can only find different ways to motivate people or groups. His predecessor, Gregg Berhalter, had completed a CONCACAF three-peat and never lost a Nations League game, while Pochettino's USMNT has lost two in pitiful fashion. Furthermore, while Pochettino's Mexican counterpart, Javier Aguirre, has injected passion and purpose into Mexico's analogous rebuild, the USMNT seems to be regressing. Overall, Pochettino's tenure as the USMNT manager has been marked by high expectations and early disappointment. While he is a good soccer coach, he may not have been the right fit for the job given the limited training sessions and the need to elevate a team that had previously been successful under Berhalter. The future of Pochettino's tenure remains uncertain as questions continue to swirl around his ability to turn things around for the USMNT.