Does Pochettino have the time to turn the USMNT’s prospects into stars? (1:50)
Shaka Hislop joins Futbol Americas to wonder what Mauricio Pochettino can do for the USMNT’s rising stars like Malik Tillman. (1:50)
-
Cesar Hernandez, Staff Writer, ESPN FCNov 13, 2024, 02:51 PM ET
AC Milan star Christian Pulisic praised a “reset” for the United States in a new era under recently hired manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“It’s been a good kind of reset for everyone, and I think it’s brought an environment where everyone is a bit on their toes and especially in training sessions,” Pulisic, 26, said ahead of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series vs. Jamaica on Nov. 14 and 18.
“I think everyone is that much more focused. You obviously want to make a good first impression, you want to impress these coaches. They’ve obviously coached some of the best players in the world.”
The hiring of Pochettino — who has coached at top clubs such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur — marked an ambitious step forward for the USMNT after failing to impress last summer with a Copa América group stage exit under former manager Gregg Berhalter.
Along with the backdrop of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, a new bar has been set for the USMNT’s up-and-coming roster, although Pulisic noted Wednesday that the team is currently focused on more immediate goals.
“It’s easy to look ahead. I think the main objective right now is to beat Jamaica. That’s truly the only thing on our minds. … We have to take this step by step,” Pulisic said when asked about pre-World Cup objectives for the USMNT, which has won once and lost once in two games under Pochettino.
“If we can do that, we can obviously build on that, and then it’s just continuing to grow as a team.”
The USMNT’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series will begin with an away trip to Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday before the Americans host the second leg at St. Louis’ Energizer Park four days later. The winners will earn a spot to next year’s semifinal and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. An additional opportunity for Gold Cup qualification will be given to the loser of the quarterfinal through a preliminary competition.
“It’s obviously going to be a tough place to go,” said the winger about playing at Kingston. “They are obviously a team with a lot of good athletes, a very physical team, and one that I think has improved a lot as well in recent years.”
Despite the USMNT holding an all-time record against Jamaica of 23W-3L-10D, in Kingston, the series has been more even with a 3W-1L-6D tally for the U.S.
Pulisic might also have to compensate in the attack due to the absence of injured forwards. AS Monaco‘s Folarin Balogun, Norwich City’s Josh Sargent, and Coventry City’s Haji Wright are all out. In their place, backup strikers such as PSV Eindhoven‘s Ricardo Pepi and Monterrey’s Brandon Vázquez are set to work alongside Pulisic, who has emerged as a game changer in 2024-25 for AC Milan.
Pulisic has seven goals and four assists across all competitions this season for the Serie A side, including an assist in a 3-1 Champions League win over Real Madrid last week.
“Truly an amazing team effort from our whole team,” Pulisic said Wednesday. “Really special to go to a stadium like that and win.”
Since the start of the Concacaf Nations League, the USMNT has won all three editions of the tournament. The 2024-25 semifinals and final will be played in March at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
