US Ladies vs Iceland Thur 7:30 pm TBS & Sun 5:30 pm TNT

The US ladies returns for their first games since winning Olympic Gold this past summer with 2 games vs Iceland and a game vs Argentina on Wed Oct 30th.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (9): Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)

FORWARDS (7): Yazmeen Ryan (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

Indy 11 Fan Appreciation Night on Final Game Sat 7 pm vs Birmingham

Indy Eleven hosts Fan Appreciation Night next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Birmingham Legion FC in the final home match of the regular season – Fan appreciation night. Single-game tickets are available at Ticketmaster.  For information on all ticket options visit the Indy Eleven Ticket Central.  For questions, email tickets@indyeleven.com or call (317) 685-1100. The top eight teams in the East will compete in the playoffs the first weekend in November, with the top four teams at home. Indy is 4th.

US Men lose to Mexico Dos a Cero

So the Honeymoon is over for Coach Poch – as he took a weak team into Mexico on Tuesday night and got pounded 2-0. I was beside myself – as he sent Pulisic, McKennie and Pepi home before the game. We only have like 8 windows before the World Cup – why would you not bring your best team – to what was bound to be one of our only really tough games before the World Cup? We brought our B team – I get trying to see how the younger guys would handle it but we got pounded. Oh by the Way GB has owned Mexico of late. I won’t say too much more for now other than I am extremely disappointed in Poch’s first window of games. I completely agree with former national team players and pundits Tim Howard and Casey Keller that Poch completely dropped the ball on this!! He has a LONG way to go as does the US overall.

CHS Ladies host Regional Finals Sat at 2 pm at Murray

The 3^rd ranked Carmel Girls come home to Murray Field for the Regional Finals on Saturday at 2 pm vs the winner of Franklin & East Central. Tickets are just $7 – come on out and support the Ladies! CHS Boys lose in Shootout to Lawrence North

TV SCHEDULE

 (American’s in Parenthesis)

Sat, Oct 19                 

9:30 am ESPN+            Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart  

9:30 pm ESPN+            Bayer Leverkusen vs Frankfurt

9:30 am ESPN+            Mgladbach (Scalley)  vs Heidenheim

12 noon CBSSN          AC Milan (Pulisic)  vs Udinees  

2″15 pm FS2 US women U17 vs Colombia U17 WWC

6 pm MLS Decision Day

6 pm Apple TV           Inter Miami vs New England

7 pm ESPN+, TV         Indy 11 vs  Birmingham

7:30 pm ION TV Portland Thorns vs Racing Louisville NWSL

9 pm Apple TV           Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers

Sun, Oct 20                

9 am USA                    Wolverhampton vs Man City  

11 am  USA                 Liverpool vs Chelsea

2:45 pm  Para+           Roma vs Inter Milan

3 pm ESPN2                Barcelona vs Sevilla  

5 pm ESPN                  NY Gothem (Williams, Ohara, Mewis) vs Orlando Pride

7:30 pm Para+            Angel City vs Utah   NWSL 

Tues, Oct 22                           Champions League

12:45 pm Par+            AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Club Brugge

3 pm CBSSN               Aston Villa vs Bologna

3 pm Para+                 Real Madrid vs Dortmund UCL

3 pm Para+                 Arsenal vs Shakhtar UCL

3 pm Para+                 Juveuntus vs  Stuttgart UCL

3 pm Para+                 PSG vs PSV (Pepi, Tllman)

4 pm FS2                     US Women U17 vs Korea  U17 WC

Weds, Oct 23

12:45 pm Para+          Atalanta vs Celtic (CCV) UCL

3 pm Para+                 Bayern Munich vs Barcelona UCL

3 pm Para+                 RB Leipzig vs Liverpool  UCL  

3  pm CBSSN               Atletico Madrid vs Lille

4 pm FS2                     Poland U17 vs Brazil  U17 WWC

7 pm FS2                      England U17 vs Korea U17 WWC  

Thur, Oct 24

12:45 pm CBSSN         Roma vs Dynamo Kiev

12:45 pm Para+          Chelsea vs Pathainaikos

3 pm CBSSN                Porto vs Hoffenhiem  

3 pm Para+                 Fenervbahce vs Man United  

3 pm Para+                 Tottenham vs AZ  

7:30 pm TBS/Max US Women vs Iceland in Austin

Sunday, Oct 26

5:30 pm TNT/Peacock US Women vs Iceland in Nashville

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Time to shine

Action to follow along with this week, including UEFA Champions League.

By Justin Moran@kickswish  Oct 22, 2024, 7:20am PDT  

16 Comments / 16 New

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook (opens in new window)
• Share this on Twitter (opens in new window)
• ShareAll sharing options

Midweek USMNT action is here. MLS games are on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as any other networks listed. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

• AC Milan vs Club Brugge, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV (free trial), ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan host Brugge in UEFA Champions League.
• AS Monaco vs Crvena Zvezda, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Red Star Belgrade in Champions League.
• Juventus vs VfB Stuttgart, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Yanus Musah and Juve host Stuttgart in Champions League.
• PSG vs PSV Eindhoven, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, and PSV travel to Paris for their Champions League match.

Also in action:

• Leeds United vs Watford, 2:45p: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds meet Watford in the Championship.
• Preston North End vs Norwich City, 2:45p: Josh Sargent and the Canaries visit Preston in the Championship.
• Barnsley vs Charlton, 2:45p: Gaga Slonina, Donovan Pines, and Barnsley host Charlton Athletic in League One.
• Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Gio Reyna probably won’t be available for BVB as they visit the reigning Champions League winners.
• QPR vs Coventry City on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Coventry visit QPR in the Championship.
• Chivas vs Necaxa, 9p on Telemundo, UNIVERSO, FuboTV, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo: Cade Cowell and Chivas de Guadalajara host Necaxa in Liga MX.

Wednesday

• Atalanta vs Celtic, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic visit Atalanta in Champions League.

Also in action:

• Blackburn Rovers vs West Brom, 2:45p on Paramount+: Daryl Dike (still injured?) and West Brom are on the road vs Blackburn in the Championship.
• Hull City vs Burnley, 2:45p: Luca Koleosho and Burnley visit Hull in the Championship.
• Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United, 3p on Paramount+: Aidan Morris and Boro host Auston Trusty’s old club in the Championship.
• Monterrey vs Pumas UNAM, 9p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Brandon Vázquez and Rayados host Pumas in Liga MX.
• Tijuana vs Club América, 11:05p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América visit Xolos in Liga MX.

Thursday

• Olympique Lyon vs Beşiktaş, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon welcome Beşiktaş for this Europa League match.
• Real Betis vs Københaven, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis host Copenhagen in Conference League.

Also in action:

• Olimpija Ljubljana vs LASK Linz, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: George Bello and LASK visit Olimpija in Conference League.
• Pafos vs Heidenheim, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Heidenheim visit Cypriot side Pafos in Conference League.

Friday

• Mainz vs Mönchengladbach, 2:30p on ESPN+ (free trial): Joe Scally and Gladbach visit Mainz in the Bundesliga.
• Puebla vs Chivas, 11p: Cade Cowell and Chivas visit Puebla in Liga MX.

Also in action:

• Köln vs Paderborn, 12:30p on ESPN+: Damion Downs and Köln host Santiago Castañeda and SC Paderborn in the 2. Bundesliga.
• Rennes vs Le Havre, 2:45p on beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Español, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Emmanuel Sabbi and Le Havre are on the road in Ligue 1.
• Inter Miami vs CF Montreal *OR* Atlanta United, 8:30p (TV channels TBA): Benja Cremaschi and Miami will host either Montreal or Atlanta in the MLS playoffs.

US Ladies

Emma Hayes names her USWNT squad for October friendlies

2024 USWNT Friendly: Scouting Iceland

USA

USMNT 0-2 Mexico – Recapping a two a cero loss in the 2024 October Friendly Window

USMNT to play Jamaica in Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals  By Donald Wine II

Pochettino urges patience after USMNT loss

USA, Mexico ratings: El Tri teach Pochettino a Concacaf lesson
Mexico vs. U.S. talking points: Poch suffers a ‘Dos a Cero,’ Jiménez is back

US Men on TV  

📸 Pulisic scores direct from corner in UCL to continue fine Milan form

MLS

 Previewing highly-anticipated MLS Decision Day

Sources: Miami, Messi to get Club World Cup place

Luis Suárez confirms Inter Miami contract talks

Goalkeeping

Matt Turner Double Save vs Panama Europa League Great Saves Day 2
Europa Leauge Great Saves Day 1

GK Training on your Own  

Reffing

Restart Issue

Become a Licensed High School Ref

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13

=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========

Looking for a good summer meal?  Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order 

(mention the ole ballcoach) 

Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more.  Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/ Call ahead at 317-688-7290  M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday.  Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!  

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Mid-table matches headline as NWSL playoffs loom

Saturday’s match between Portland and Louisville has major postseason implications. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images)

The NWSL’s penultimate matchday has arrived,and there’s no game with higher stakes than Saturday’s clash between seventh-place Portland and ninth-place Louisville.Both clubs sit three points from the postseason cutoff line, and while Louisville has everything to gain, the Thorns — who snapped Orlando’s unbeaten streak last weekend — have everything to lose.Elsewhere in the NWSL, eighth-place Bay FC’s Saturday test against the Courage could determine multiple postseason fates, while ACFC hosts the surging Royals in a must-win match on Sunday.Don’t miss it: Portland kicks off against Louisville on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET before Bay FC takes on North Carolina at 10 PM ET, both on ION. On Sunday, Angel City faces Utah at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.

Press scores first NWSL goal in 854 days

After four surgeries and 28 months on the sidelines, Christen Press is so back. (Jaylynn Nash/Imagn Images)

Angel City forward Christen Press solidified her return to form on Saturday, finding the back of the net for first time in more than two years to secure a 1-1 draw with North Carolina.The two-time USWNT World Cup champion’s last goal came in June 2022 — less than an hour before tearing her ACL.Describing the left-footed strike as “an out-of-body experience,” the 35-year-old became the 10th player in NWSL history to score in their 100th league appearance.”Since I got injured, people were counting the days that I didn’t play soccer, and I was counting the days that I hadn’t scored,” Press said after the match. “My true love is scoring.”

NWSL playoff picture down to two final spots

A Bay FC win on Saturday would eliminate three NWSL clubs from postseason contention. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

With just two regular-season games to go, six of the NWSL’s eight playoff berths are locked, while six other teams — Portland, Bay FC, Louisville, Utah, Angel City, and San Diego — are looking to punch the last two tickets. This weekend’s elimination scenarios:Seventh-place Portland can secure a berth with a win over Louisville or a draw with Louisville plus a Bay FC loss.Eighth-place Bay FC clinch with a win over North Carolina and a Louisville loss, or a draw with North Carolina plus a Louisville loss and a draw between Angel City and Utah.A Bay FC win immediately eliminates Angel City, San Diego, and Utah.To stay alive,​ 11th-place Angel City and 12th-place San Diego must win while 10th-place Utah must at least draw.Ninth-place Louisville can only be eliminated with a loss to Portland plus a Bay FC win or draw.

TOGETHER WITH DELTANew adventures. New goals.

With every stadium, every match, every goal, there’s opportunity for new adventure.Offering flights to hundreds of destinations worldwide, we make it easy to connect with the people and places that matter most. Whether you’re fresh off the pitch or cheering from the stands, Delta Air Lines, the Official Airline of the NWSL, gets you there.Book your next adventure at delta.com.

Can Gotham go back-to-back?

Could 2023 champs Gotham topple Shield-winners Orlando to take a second title? (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)

In this week’s episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins makes the assertion that despite not winning the 2024 Shield, 2023 champs Gotham still have a shot at a repeat title.”Gotham is in an interesting place because they were the big super team going into 2024,” Watkins says. “We all look at the ridiculous, incredible thing that Orlando did and maybe nobody can top that, but Gotham had an aggressive offseason.””I really do think they can go back to back, and it’s not just because of all the flashy attacking midfielders and attackers, it’s because of their ability to be very, very sound in the back as well.”

Mexico vs USA: El Tri inflicts ‘Dos a Cero’ on Pochettino

• Cesar Hernandez Eric Gomez ESPN ct 16, 2024, 07:00 AM E

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The first battle between Mexico manager Javier Aguirre and new United States men’s national team boss Mauricio Pochettino ended in a 2-0 victory for El Tri on Tuesday, snapping a seven-game winless streak for Mexico against their northern rivals.The USMNT, playing away from home and without a number of key figures (Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic were sent home early), struggled against the backdrop of a hostile crowd at the Estadio Akron. By the 22nd minute, that pressure grew significantly after Fulham striker Raúl Jiménez continued his rich vein of form to put the home side up 1-0 with a mesmerizing free kick.

Advertising

Despite a couple of substitutions at halftime, the USMNT found itself in an even deeper hole shortly after the start of the second half. Thanks to a 49th-minute goal from César Huerta, which was assisted by Jiménez, the hosts doubled their lead and sent the Estadio Akron crowd into a frenzy. In response, the USMNT had little to offer. With both coaches recently kicking off tenures with their respective national teams, the result marks a step forward for Aguirre, who now has a 2W-2D-0L record in his third spell in charge. Pochettino, on the other hand, is 1W-0D-1L in his start with the USMNT. — Cesar Hernandez

---

No stars, just stripes for the USMNT

Realistically speaking, this wasn’t the best USMNT that was sent to Mexico. Injured stars such as Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Giovanni Reyna and Chris Richards were all unavailable for selection.

Editor’s Picks

• What we learned from the USMNT’s first games under Pochettino2dRyan O’Hanlon
• USA, Mexico ratings: El Tri teach Pochettino a Concacaf lesson2dRyan Rosenblatt, Eduardo Sánchez
• Pochettino urges patience after USMNT loss2dLizzy Becherano

Then, over the weekend, news emerged that Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen would all return to their clubs early, missing the Mexico game. While Pulisic was dealing with load management, the other four were recovering from slight injuries.

All that said, even in Mexico, the USMNT were expected to be more competitive. Throughout the match, El Tri was asking nearly all of the questions as it amped up attacking pressure and amassed 12 shots within the first half alone. As for the USMNT, its first shot on target didn’t arrive until the 64th minute.Barring the highly unlikely scenario that Pochettino will be able to consistently rely on a fully fit squad, Tuesday’s match showcased the work that’s needed to uplift and motivate a number of alternatives that were poor against Mexico. — Hernandez

Pep was right: Jiménez is back

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was ahead of the curve when he warned that “Raúl is back” after the recent 3-2 win over Fulham in the Premier League. His performance on Tuesday against the United States undoubtedly confirms that.The former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker guided Mexico toward its first win over its biggest rival in five years and gave Pochettino his first blemish as USMNT boss. In the process, he earned postmatch praise from Coach Aguirre for being a “leader” and “a very important player” for his team.Jiménez did a bit of everything on Tuesday. Not only did he score for the first time in over a year with El Tri, but he also showed off his entire repertoire on the Estadio Akron pitch: a bicycle-kick attempt, plenty of dribbles, flair when attempting passes and a flashy assist.It was more than enough to help Mexico defeat the United States by the most damning of scorelines within the rivalry: dos a cero. — Omar Flores

Dos a Cero strikes again

The United States continuously mocks Mexico with the “Dos a Cero” chant, referencing the various times the Stars and Stripes have triumphed over their rivals with that scoreline.The story began in 2002, when the American team famously eliminated El Tri from the FIFA World Cup in the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory. Aguirre cited that match as one of only two times he had ever cried in football, labeling it one of his worst moments in his career as a coach.Since that night, the United States has gone on to beat Mexico 2-0 on several occasions to keep the lore of the chant alive, but on Tuesday night in Guadalajara, Mexico flipped the script for the first time since 1997. — Lizzy Becherano

Guardado gets a hometown goodbye

Mexico’s legendary midfielder got a perfect night on which to say goodbye to international football in his hometown on Tuesday, exiting after 18 minutes in a clear ode to his preferred jersey number.Andrés Guardado first burst onto the scene as a lanky 19-year-old in 2005, brought on by eagle-eyed Ricardo La Volpe, Mexico’s manager at the time, as a talented wide player who famously held his own in the 2006 World Cup finals against Argentina. Over the course of two decades, Guardado has turned into the Mexican embodiment of Total Football, a multifaceted player who has taken on several roles and positions during his illustrious career.For 17 straight years, El Principito carried his country’s flag across European pitches as one of Mexican soccer’s most well-known ambassadors. A respected figure for Deportivo La Coruña, PSV Eindhoven, and Real Betis, Guardado — now with León in Liga MX — is also well-respected among Mexican fans for resisting the urge to exit Europe in favor of MLS. It was only fitting that Guardado close the book on his national career against the United States, his nation’s biggest rival and a team he helped defeat in two Gold Cup finals and the 2015 Concacaf Cup.At 38, Guardado could very well keep going at the international level, a testament to both his evergreen talent and Mexico’s fraught present as they look to remain competitive ahead of the 2026 World Cup. — Eric Gomez

Mexico’s roadshow of stadiums working a treat

The Mexican national team returned to Guadalajara for the first time in 14 years on Tuesday. El Tri usually hosts international matches at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, rarely exploring different parts of the country. But while the iconic Azteca undergoes refurbishments ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation sought to play the October friendlies in Puebla and Guadalajara in hopes to reconnect with the fan base. And it worked on Tuesday night.From the opening kickoff, fans inside the Estadio Akron established a vibrant atmosphere. As the United States starting lineup echoed throughout the stadium, fans booed each passing name. But when the Mexican names rang, the cheering and chanting almost drowned out the announcer. By the initial whistle, the “Mexico, Mexico” song consumed supporters. The Mexican national team has gone through various changes since last playing in Guadalajara in September 2014, losing tournaments, failing during the 2024 Copa America and getting knocked out of multiple World Cups, yet the fans were clearly prepared to welcome the team back with open arms.

In the 22nd minute, as Jiménez’s free kick found the back of the net, the stadium exploded into a frenzy. From the criticized “silent” nights at the Estadio Azteca to Tuesday’s electric night at the Estadio Akron, it seems the fan base has not yet abandoned El Tri as many have suggested. — Becherano

Cheers (and jeers) for Mexico in Guadalajara

Pochettino and his staff were left rightfully wondering why, in the second half, there were ample boos for Mexico midfielder Alexis Vega as he entered the field of play. The crowd in Guadalajara was there for El Tri, but they definitely kept their soft spot intact for usual home team Chivas. Vega, a former Chivas player who exited the club acrimoniously, was not the only target of Estadio Akron’s ire over the course of the match.

Club América and USMNT attacker Alejandro Zendejas was targeted as he entered in the second half. The Mexican players seemed to respond in kind to Zendejas, a scuffle involving him and Tigres defender Jesús Angulo was probably the most excitement the crowd experienced during a listless latter half of the match.

The infamous anti-gay chant that has gotten Mexico in trouble over the past decade or so was also heard, though it was quickly quelled once Jiménez scored his free kick.Jiménez, once a mainstay for América during his Liga MX days, was spared by the pro-Chivas crowd, given that he also provided Huerta with an assist for Mexico’s second.

Despite all this, the crowd was subdued compared to other editions of the Mexico vs. USA rivalry — the fact that the pro-Mexican crowd experienced El Tri‘s first victory over the United States in five years definitely helped. — Gomez

How important was Mexico’s win over the USMNT?

Futbol Americas Mauricio Pedroza believes spirit and confidence were the reasons behind Mexico’s 2-0 win over the USMNT.

Malagón jumps ahead of Ochoa as Mexico’s No. 1

Who would start in goal for Mexico was perhaps Aguirre’s best-kept secret in the lead up to Tuesday’s match. El Vasco held his cards close to his chest right up until starters were announced, and eventually Luis Ángel Malagón got the nod to start against the USMNT in favor of Guillermo Ochoa — a decision that might prove key ahead of the team’s next matches.

Ochoa was absent from the September friendlies as Aguirre had requested that every single player on his radar have a club — a prerequisite the former Sevilla man did not fulfill at that particular time. Ochoa’s absence was taken advantage of by Malagón, who won over Aguirre’s trust and received the opportunity to start against the United States, a game in which he contributed with a key save.

Aguirre had said prior to Tuesday’s match that this would be the last audition for players on the Mexican national team’s radar, as November will present El Tri with the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Honduras. Ochoa, who has since joined AVS in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, appears to have lost his starting job and must now await his turn from the bench in the beginning of the latest Aguirre era. — Flores

Early insight into how Poch’s USMNT will play

Scoreline aside, one major takeaway was what Pochettino is trying to build with his new national team.

Similar to the match against Panama, there was a clear attempt to defend in a 4-4-2 and then move forward in attack through a 3-4-3 that relied on the agile Antonee Robinson to cover an immense amount of ground on the left flank.

The attack was fluid, and yet they couldn’t break down Mexico’s backline enough. Throughout the start to the game, the USMNT were also mistiming tackles and not winning as many second balls or recovering as much as Mexico.

On the sideline, Pochettino looked quietly exasperated, trying to figure out a way to crack the code of the USMNT’s team that was missing key figures. The good news is that things did seem to improve in the second half. With some fresh faces introduced via substitutions, the passing was quicker as they made more of an effort to keep the ball more in Mexico’s half of the pitch.

It’s all still a work in progress though for Pochettino. Whether he keeps his 4-4-2 to 3-4-3 or mixes things up going forward, he’ll still need to test and tinker in the early days of his new national team role. — Hernandez

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT project will be judged in 2026 – ignore early stutters, for now

By Jeff Rueter Oct 17, 2024

---

The project had to start somewhere for Mauricio Pochettino.

What the Argentinian hopes to achieve with the United States men’s national team is no small task. In a way, he is winding back the clock to before his brief stays at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — and even beyond his Tottenham Hotspur side that was teeming with promise when he arrived in 2014.

Advertisement

Today’s USMNT appears more reminiscent of his first posts. With Espanyol and Southampton, Pochettino was tasked with creating a side that could outperform teams with a higher level of talent.

Those jobs, and the glitzier ones that followed, left more variables for him to account for and solve. He and his staff controlled the squad’s training habits. If he needed a player to refine their specific roles, he worked on it every day. If that proved an ask too far, the transfer market could provide.

Pochettino in his stint at Southampton (Chris Ison/PA Images via Getty Images)

Success can take the enjoyment out of that routine. With PSG and Chelsea, Pochettino was officially in his ‘esteemed manager’ era, residing in a realm occupied by coaches like Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho. Men with their reputations are rarely entrusted to lead projects, to see out a long-term vision with the benefit of patient owners. They are hired as the final piece to turn lavish expenditure into hardware. If they can’t, the owner will find someone else.

Pochettino’s new gig is readying the USMNT for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. There is no transfer market to offer the international starting-caliber center-back this program desperately needs. The right-back problem can’t be solved with months of daily training for a possible stopgap. He can’t ensure goalkeeper Matt Turner starts every week for Crystal Palace.

Throughout his first international window, that reality seemed to be what Pochettino craved.

“People sometimes say, ‘That’s my philosophy, and I’m going to die with my idea,’” Pochettino told the media before his first game against Panama. “No, I want to live. Because life is amazing. I want to be clever, and I want to win. I don’t want to die.”

How’s that for a marketing slogan? The USMNT: for those who don’t want to die.

It could be the mentality that this program needs to save face. After winning hearts and minds in 2022, the past two years have seen the USMNT fail to take the next step. There was the public spat between the Reyna family and Gregg Berhalter that immediately extinguished the good vibes from the World Cup in Qatar and called into question the once-harmonious nature of Berhalter’s locker room.

Advertisement

For over half a year, the program was under interim management before deciding to retain Berhalter — a calamitous waste of a crucial year before the Copa América.

While Tim Weah did Berhalter no favors with an early and unconscionable red card against Panama, the defeat and ensuing failure to advance from their group laid bare just how bleak the team had become. A far cry from the expectations of a group of players fabled as a possible golden generation. To be this uninspiring at a time when they had a bona fide attacking superstar in Christian Pulisic was impossible to accept.

Pulisic will be key to the Pochettino era (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

Fourteen months after signing Berhalter to a new pact, U.S. Soccer made an ambitious pivot. It pushed hard to secure Pochettino — a coach with a pedigree the U.S. had not had before.

As several key players saw the summer window close without improving their club situations, the only way for the USMNT to get better was from the top.

It may have required a career pivot, but Pochettino is back to managing a project. He will have nearly two years to come up with the right combination of players to challenge at a World Cup on home soil.

What transpires in the summer of 2026 will be how his success in the role will be determined. Not friendly results, nor continental showings at the Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League. Berhalter had no issue winning those competitions, and it isn’t the point of hiring Pochettino.

There’s a crucial difference between Pochettino’s job and that of Tuchel, who was hired by England for similar reasons that brought him to PSG, Chelsea (do you see a pattern here?) and Bayern Munich: to take a talented squad and make the final push to win the highest prizes.

Tuchel will have the benefit of World Cup qualifying — that is, games with tangible stakes — to chop and change. And then, almost certainly, he’ll find a new employer in July 2026.

Advertisement

For Pochettino, those ramp-up games aren’t on the calendar. Qualification is secure as tournament co-hosts. The USMNT knows it will benefit from a more favorable draw for the competition as a result, being the Pot 1 team. Every decision between now and then comes with hopes of making that status appear deserved.

At worst, they will be grouped in friendly territory like Qatar and South Africa before them. The best-case scenario is to pull off what Russia managed in 2018, a tournament that the USMNT missed.

It’s uncomfortable to draw parallels between Russia and the U.S. in most contexts, but the lead-up to the 2018 World Cup provides a rare opportunity. In the 2016 Euros, Russia finished last in their group. They swiftly made a coaching change, replacing Leonid Slutsky with Stanislav Cherchesov, and players responded. A rough year followed in 2017, beating only Hungary and New Zealand, but it set them up for a surprising success.

This century, no nation (save, perhaps, Australia at the 2023 Women’s World Cup) has benefited more from hosting FIFA’s grandest tournament. Cherchesov’s side enjoyed a kind draw, finishing second behind Uruguay and ahead of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. From there, the home advantage came through as they upset Spain in the round of 16 before falling to Croatia in another shootout.

Cherchesov and his players surprised even their own fans in Russia in 2018 (MAXIM ZMEYEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia is a unique program for many reasons, but the moral of their hosting cycle remains. To have the best chance of success at a home World Cup, it’s imperative to have support on your side.

The Copa América should have been the first step toward building that, but the USMNT’s performance achieved anything but. Pochettino doesn’t seem concerned that his team will play friendlies against lower-caliber opponents.

“We are our worst enemy,” Pochettino said. “We need to challenge ourselves to be better and better and better.”

Advertisement

Like Bora Milutinovic when the U.S. hosted in 1994, he will hope to get the USMNT ready to inspire another generation of fans. Players should take motivation from how many members of that squad have enjoyed status and careers in various arenas on the back of their star-making turns three decades ago.

This is a perfect case study to examine whether coaches matter at the game’s highest levels. It’s a final and expensive push to get a group of players with years of hype to realize their potential. If they can’t under a world-class manager in a tournament at home, it will forever be stamped onto their legacies. At least we’ll know definitively how golden their sheen truly is.

There will be highs and lows. A 2-0 win over Panama months after they were shocked at the Copa América was followed by a dreadful showing in the 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Frankly, these results don’t matter in isolation. What will matter is getting Ricardo Pepi back among the goals, seeing Yunus Musah become the midfield’s centerpiece, and hoping relative newcomers like Aidan Morris, Auston Trusty and Patrick Schulte can turn this first Pochettino camp into sustained and impactful international careers.

Pochettino wants to live, because life is amazing. Perhaps the lower stakes from now until 2026 will provide opportunities for the fanbase to feel similarly upbeat about their national team.

Inside Pochettino’s first month in charge of USMNT: Mate cups, meetings and a chance encounter

By Paul Tenorio

Oct 18, 2024

6

---

Over dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant near their Central Park hotel last month, Mauricio Pochettino explained to U.S. Soccer staffers the cultural significance of mate, the herbal tea enjoyed by South American soccer players including Lionel Messi.

Among the thoughts Pochettino shared with his new colleagues that night in New York was the name of a shop back home in Argentina that makes custom mate cups. A month later in Austin, Texas, when Pochettino and his staff arrived for their first camp in charge of the USMNT, the incumbent staff had a surprise: they had called that store in Argentina and ordered cups emblazoned with a U.S. Soccer logo, which they presented to Pochettino’s coaching group.

Advertisement

The exchange was a reminder that, in his first month on the job, Pochettino and U.S. Soccer are very much still getting to know each other. They are building relationships, and the hope is that, over time, a bond will push the team to a new level.

Pochettino was hired to take a U.S. group filled with potential and turn it into something tangible. After a 2-0 win against Panama and a disappointing loss to Mexico by the same score over the past week, Pochettino has seen plenty in this first international window to understand the limitations of this pool and the amount of work he and his assistants have to do. He also started to lay the foundation for how he would take this team forward and toward a 2026 World Cup to be played mostly on United States soil.

This first camp under their new head coach was at times more intense, but in many ways also more relaxed. Pochettino introduced some tactical tweaks to the way the team would play, though players said he has hinted that much more is to come, but the point of the camp was less about the tactics. Across everything Pochettino did, from his meetings with players, to his approach in front of the microphone at press conferences, to how he set up the team, it has been about fixing expectations for how he expects the team to compete and grow.

It won’t happen overnight. Anyone hoping that hiring Pochettino was like pushing a “fix it” button will have to reset their thinking. Asked by a Mexican journalist on Tuesday night what he has seen from the U.S. that might convince him that this team can represent the CONCACAF region and ascend to a different level at that World Cup in 20 months’ time, Pochettino smiled.

“Give me time,” he said in his native Spanish, his voice echoing in a tunnel buzzing with activity at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, which will host a game on the first day of that World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico and Canada. “It’s only been 10 days and a few training sessions and circumstances (with players missing) that you yourself can evaluate.

“Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, get to know them, and from there I can give a better opinion, with much more foundation, on what we can find and create to be able to reach that competition, the World Cup in 2026, with the conditions to be able to compete for great things.”

GO DEEPER

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT project will be judged in 2026 – ignore early stutters, for now

---

In his first weeks on the job, Pochettino decided against meeting any U.S. players, not wanting anyone to keep tabs on who he sat down with and who he didn’t, or in what order he went to visit them. He didn’t want wrong messages to be sent.

The only conversation he had with one of his future players came by pure happenstance.

Advertisement

Pochettino was out to eat at Clap London, a Japanese restaurant in the affluent Knightsbridge neighborhood, near where he lives. It just so happened local Premier League side Fulham were there at the same time for a team meal. Two of Pochettino’s former players on the Fulham squad — Harrison Reed, who played for him at Southampton, and Ryan Sessegnon, who was with him at Tottenham Hotspur — stopped to say hello to their former boss. When they got into the team meal room, they told American left-back Antonee Robinson they had just walked by his new manager. Robinson headed over to introduce himself.

“I came over, said hello, and we were chatting for a little bit,” Robinson said. “I asked him if he’s excited, what the situation’s been like, whether he’d been over (to the U.S.) yet. It was casual.”

Joked Pochettino: “I said, ‘Look, you are going to be an exception, because I didn’t speak with (anyone). I think you have the privilege to be the first to talk with me’.”

Pochettino with Antonee Robinson during the match against Panama (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Outside of that run-in with Robinson, Pochettino and his staff, including incumbent analysts and staffers at U.S. Soccer’s base in Chicago, stayed away from players and kept in touch with each other over Zooms and phone calls. They scouted players live — a staffer went to see Mark McKenzie and Tanner Tessmann face off with Toulouse and Lyon in France’s Ligue 1, and another saw Robinson play in a Premier League game, as two examples — and watched videos.

The plan was for Pochettino to return to the U.S. to meet staff in person and maybe do some house shopping in the Atlanta area, but storms and visa delays pushed back his trip. He did not fly to the U.S. until October 5, just two days before camp started.

Pochettino trusted existing USMNT staff to help him put together the first squad he would work with, and over the first few days of camp he pulled players aside for one-on-one meetings, some of which lasted a few minutes, others a half hour. Players heard some of his ideas, and he wanted to hear how they felt physically and mentally. Among other things, he was gauging confidence levels and trying to find out what psychological buttons he might need to push.

Advertisement

Everything in those first days, from roster selection to those individual meetings, was about figuring out how people worked.

“Our first camp is about getting to know each other,” Pochettino said at the Austin FC training facility a few days into the first camp. “Not only the players, the whole staff. We are nearly 40 people working all together, to have the capacity to organize and get to know each other and settle the way that we want to work, is the most important thing from the beginning. Of course, soccer is about competing and wanting to win, because the fans of course want to win, but our first contact with the whole organization and players, we cannot push too much.”

Usually, the first session of a camp is light. Players are arriving after long flights from Europe and usually hop on a stationary bike or do other recovery work. This time, the U.S. got straight into things with a full session. “We were kind of, ‘Right, we’re here to work’,” left-back Robinson said. “It was definitely intense from the front foot.”

The actual training sessions, usually a bit shorter in national-team camps than in the club game, lasted around two hours. That’s not unprecedented — sessions under Gregg Berhalter during the 2019 Gold Cup were similarly long. But what stood out was the intensity. Every drill, down to the rondos, called for extreme competition. “We demand a lot,” Pochettino said. “Because we really believe that if you want to compete in your best, you need to train to try to replicate the intensity that the competition is going to demand.”

Away from the field, Pochettino’s style was different. Most USMNT camps were more regimented under previous coach Berhalter. The days then were organized, with meetings and work throughout the day. The support staff would have a sort of uniformity in what they wore on the training pitch, which included no ankle socks and no sunglasses. That changed in this first camp under Pochettino. The atmosphere outside of the on-field work was a bit more relaxed, and players were given more time to themselves.

Pochettino stands for the national anthem before the Panama game (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

That approach might have been intentional, especially in this first camp. Pochettino noted that the mental strain on players would be bigger this time because they would want to make a good impression on the new coach, which meant they would likely over-analyze every touch and every action. Even in drills designed to be loose and have fun, Pochettino said, players might be worried a bad touch would leave a negative impression on him.

“You spend more energy here,” Pochettino said, touching his finger to his temple, “(and) that affects your body.”

Advertisement

It wasn’t the only time one of Pochettino’s answers in a press conference revealed how important that part of the game is to him, and how much of this camp was about evaluating the character and confidence of this team — and every player in the pool.

Pochettino comes across as honest, charming and down-to-earth in front of the press. He is at times philosophical, but it rarely feels like he’s lecturing or touting his expertise. One answer stood out this month because of what it revealed about his approach to his first days on the job.

Pochettino was asked about midfielder Malik Tillman, and in the question the journalist said that Tillman compared “physically and positionally” to one of his former Tottenham players, Dele Alli. Pochettino raised his eyebrows and joked that the question “put pressure on Malik, eh?”

But then Pochettino went deeper, and his response showed that in just a few days he had diagnosed some of the things that have held Tillman back with the national team compared to his success with his Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, and he used that moment to also talk about the team.

“I agree with you, because we were talking in the same way that the (physical attributes) of him is similar to Dele Alli,” Pochettino said. “Malik is an unbelievable talent. Of course, Deli Alli was an animal. Very competitive. He was unbelievable. When he arrived as a 17-year-old from (third-tier club) Milton Keynes Dons — impossible to stop him. We are not talking about playing football. We are talking about competing, killing everyone. Teammates, opponents. Sometimes we needed to stop him and say, ‘Calm (down), we need to arrive in a good condition to play’.

“And I think if we talk about talent, I think maybe they have similar talent. We need to use our experience to try to translate and to challenge him to try to compete in this way. Because if Malik competes in the way that Dele Alli used to compete, Malik for sure has the capacity, the talent, the body, the power, everything. Don’t take it in a bad way. I think he’s an amazing talent. It’s only to help (him) to be better and better.

“Because for us it’s not enough. (Whether it is USMNT star Christian) Pulisic or different players, we need to help them to be better and better. Yes, they are good players. Is it enough? No, it’s not enough. It’s not enough to play for your national team. And that is what we are going to do, is to try to push in a very good way, or in the way that we believe. Not all the players have the same character, but we are going to try to push them and to help them to find their best.”

---

Pochettino during USMNT’s match against Panama (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

It had been mostly smiles for Pochettino since his first day stepping off a plane at John F Kennedy International Airport last month in New York, but in the tunnel under the Estadio Akron, the frustration of a 2-0 loss to Mexico sullied the mood.

The Americans had looked overwhelmed that night. They lost duels in midfield, were mostly overrun by a better team and never truly looked threatening. It was the USMNT’s first loss to Mexico in five years. Even without a CVS-receipt-length list of players absent, including Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah, the defeat highlighted some of the pool’s shortcomings.

Advertisement

If the win over Panama a few days earlier had given a dose of optimism that a coaching change would help flip the fortunes, Tuesday was a reminder that this team would need more than just a new voice on the sidelines.

Pochettino, though not smiling, said the overall experience of the camp, and even the defeat, had plenty of positives on which the team could build. He insisted that he was pleased with this October window overall.

“With all the circumstances we are happy, we are positive, and of course we are focused on all the areas we need to improve with time,” he said. “But it’s only a matter of time.”

Just more than one month after that first dinner in Manhattan with staffers, things were still very much in that getting-to-know-you phase. That in itself provided some optimism around the team, even if the result against Mexico didn’t.

“It was a good introduction,” said center back Tim Ream, who wore the captain’s armband in the camp. “They gave just enough information to make sure that guys were all on the same page and guys understood, while hinting at, ‘There’s more to come in the camps ahead’. Guys will have a better idea coming into each and every camp now that we’re going to continue to progress and work on things and (take the) next steps.

“A lot of unknowns coming into this one. And now there’s not unknowns. We know where we’re going.”

(Top photo: Pochettino at the Mexico game; Agustin Cuevas Cornejo/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)