At first glance, accounts of the experience of playing under U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino are filled with contradictions. Players describe the environment as “intense,” “passionate,” and “demanding,” yet these terms are often juxtaposed with sentiments that seem to reflect a more positive emotional state. Words like “family,” “likeable,” and even “loving” frequently emerge.
This duality is characteristic of coaching. In the pursuit of maximizing the potential of a group of players, the emotional landscape and methodologies can vary significantly, both among individuals and even within a single moment. There are instances that call for strictness, while at other times, a supportive gesture is more appropriate. Despite a coach’s efforts, not every player can be reached, but that does not deter them from trying.
Recent performances suggest that Pochettino’s methods are yielding positive results. The USMNT remains unbeaten in its last five matches leading up to friendly encounters with Belgium on March 28 and Portugal three days later.
While this run of favorable outcomes has been exclusively in friendly matches, with the U.S. co-hosting this summer’s World Cup and without the burden of World Cup qualifying, the USMNT can only compete against the opponents available. Consequently, the team’s trajectory appears to be on the rise, largely attributed to Pochettino’s strategies and the players’ willingness to embrace his approach.
“Above all, he just expects intensity, and he expects mentality — he expects energy,” midfielder Cristian Roldan shared with ESPN regarding Pochettino. “I think those things are really contagious. So he’s very likable. He’ll hug you. He’ll have a conversation with you. He’ll yell at you. But in the end, it comes from a good place. And as long as you bring what he wants, you’re going to be in a good spot.”
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A USMNT culture that’s “more strict”
It was evident when Pochettino was appointed in September 2024 that a transformation was necessary within the USMNT. Negative habits and emotions had gradually infiltrated the U.S. team.
This situation was partly due to the presence of two interim managers, Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan, over a six-month period at the start of 2023, followed by the decision to rehire Gregg Berhalter for a full-time role later that year. The progress made by the USMNT during the 2022 cycle was not replicated in Berhalter’s second tenure. Complacency set in, leading to stagnation.
Upon Pochettino’s arrival as an impartial outsider, he made it clear that no player would be guaranteed a starting position. Players would need to earn their places, irrespective of their perceived status within the team or among the public. Accountability would be enforced for all.
“No one’s special — when you come into camp, you’re a U.S. men’s national team player, you deserve to be here,” midfielder Tyler Adams told ESPN. “[He’ll] make sure that you get better each time you come into camp and feel worthy. But at the same time, it’s required from you to put what you’re going to get in and get out of it. So, every single camp guys have learned and adjusted to that.
“But I don’t want to say that he’s changed the culture — I’d say he’s brought the culture out of us. I think we’ve had that in us and it was just took someone to bring it out of us, and I think he’s done a great job of that.”
How did Pochettino achieve this? According to Adams, the approach was straightforward at a high level.
“I think he’s a little bit more strict in certain things,” Adams stated. “I think that the standards that were set were clear from day one. You don’t break my trust. You don’t break the rules. You don’t disrespect one another or you won’t be around.”
The transition required some time. The performances during the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals, where the USMNT suffered defeats to Panama and Canada, were disappointing. This led to several former USMNT players questioning the commitment and determination of the current generation.
Pochettino responded by excluding certain players, notably Weston McKennie, from subsequent camps. Due in part to injuries to players like Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun, but also what Pochettino referred to as “football decisions,” the coach selected a notably youthful squad for the 2025 Gold Cup, with twelve players having five or fewer international appearances.
Although the U.S. ultimately lost to Mexico in the Gold Cup final, the message was clear: Pochettino would assemble the best team that worked cohesively, rather than simply the best 26 players.
However, the Argentine also demonstrated patience. Every player experiences a coaching change at some point in their career. With Pochettino, there was an acknowledgment that adapting to a coach from a distinctly different background would take time.
“You understand that there’s going to be nuances and there’s going to be growing pains that come along with [a coaching change], but you also understand you have to have grace with one another,” U.S. defender Mark McKenzie told ESPN. “So I think that was the biggest thing, is recognizing that it’s not going to be perfect in the first moments. They started to learn us the same way we need to learn them.”
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The ‘Futbol Americas’ crew to debate if Mauricio Pochettino is under serious pressure to deliver success for the USMNT as they prepare to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Those growing pains now seem to have been addressed. However, with less than 100 days remaining until the World Cup and only one more international window before the tournament, tensions are likely to escalate as the May date for the World Cup roster announcement approaches. With Pochettino’s no-favorites policy, will anxiety be the prevailing emotion leading up to the tournament?
“I’ll be very honest: I think some guys will probably feel scared,” veteran U.S. defender Tim Ream told ESPN. “I think that’s a realistic and a real feeling that some guys will have.
“The approach that you have to take is, well, your spot is never guaranteed no matter where you are. Someone’s always younger, faster, better, trying to take your spot. So how do you hold that off as long as possible? Well, you just keep working. That’s the way the sport is.”
The USMNT’s intense “die for the shirt” approach
Pochettino’s culture of accountability extends into training sessions, sometimes quite literally. For the players, once they put on their boots, nothing else matters. While perfection is not the expectation, maximum effort, intensity, and unwavering focus are. Training sessions become a test of mental resilience as much as they are about physical strength.
“What’s the most important thing? That pass is the most important thing. That touch is the most important thing,” said Ream. “That piece of communication — whether you’re telling somebody left, right, go this way, go that way — is the most important thing. And so when I [refer to] how demanding he is, he wants all of that.
“In every single training session, as soon as you cross the line, your focus is nowhere but there. And that can be draining. Yeah — it can be very draining.”
Pochettino anticipates that intensity will infuse every aspect of the training session. This includes achieving a level of physicality that mirrors game situations. Indeed, tackles can be fierce at times.
“Whether it’s 11-v-11, a small sided game, yeah, I’m going to get stuck in,” said McKenzie. “I’m not doing it to the point where it’s going to harm or hurt my teammate. But at the same time, I’m not just going to jump over his foot just because — I’m going to make sure I’m getting stuck in.
“I want to win this tackle. I want to win this duel. So there’s ways to go about it without harming each other, but you want to have that competitive nature, competitive edge in trainings because that’s the way we want to play the game.”
The rationale behind this approach is that it elevates the performance level of the entire group.
“You have guys that don’t normally want to get into tackles, getting into tackles,” said Roldan. “Those are the things that are contagious.”
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In terms of the rhythm of the sessions, they are designed to acclimate the players to what they will encounter in matches. Every drill, tactical session, gym workout, or activation has a specific purpose. The philosophy is that there is no wasted effort.
“[The drills] all form this tunnel to make sure that the final product on the field is the way we want it to look or the way that we are training for it to look,” said McKenzie.
This results in training sessions that conclude with the appropriate level of complete exhaustion and a desire to repeat the experience the following day. Pochettino’s cultural reset has achieved the intended outcome.
“I think the overarching culture is that guys would die for the shirt right now,” goalkeeper Matt Turner told ESPN
No longer “inmates running the asylum”
In the previous cycle, Berhalter established a so-called leadership council of select players, which the coaching staff utilized to gauge the mood on various issues. Under Pochettino, this structure has been eliminated. Several players indicated that the current setup fosters better communication where anyone can voice their opinions.
“It becomes almost like the inmates running the asylum,” said Ream about the past leadership council. “So, it almost becomes where there’s a group of players who have a lot of the say, and then there’s a group who are a little bit hesitant. So they’re like, ‘Well, he chose those guys. I can’t say anything.’
“Now it’s like, ‘Guys, we’re all in this together.’ Okay, yes, I’m the oldest. I’m not the loudest. So, Tyler [Adams], Chris [Richards], you want to be the loudest? Be the loudest, bro. It’s no problem. And it’s a give-and-take, but everybody feels empowered to speak and say whatever they feel — equal and in a positive way.”
While Pochettino prefers to allow players to focus on their clubs when not in camp, Ream believes the level of communication among players, even outside of camp, is greater than it has ever been. The number of group chats has increased to the point that he claims he “can’t keep up with them all.”
It is important to note that Pochettino remains in charge and has not hesitated to publicly address players when he feels they have overstepped their boundaries.
The USMNT’s most prominent star and face of the team, Christian Pulisic, expressed that he “didn’t understand” Pochettino’s choice to exclude him from a pair of pre-Gold Cup friendlies, even as Pulisic stated he was opting out of the Gold Cup. Pochettino asserted that as manager, he was “not a mannequin” and would make decisions he deemed best for the team, irrespective of Pulisic’s perspective.
Pochettino also later criticized midfielder Timothy Weah for a seemingly innocuous remark regarding the high prices of World Cup tickets, stating that it’s not a player’s “duty” to discuss such matters, insisting he focus solely on his performance.
Whether this is merely Pochettino maintaining discipline among his players and keeping them focused on their objectives, or if it hints at potential discontent, remains to be seen. The ultimate assessment of Pochettino’s approach will be determined by the outcomes of this summer’s World Cup. For now, however, there seems to be complete buy-in from the players — at least based on their public statements.
Pochettino getting “personal” with players
Communication is arguably the most crucial element of coaching. It allows a manager to share knowledge, build trust, enhance motivation, and improve performance. A single misstep in communication can alienate an entire locker room.
Pochettino’s communication style can be categorized into two segments: his on-field interactions and those off the field.
During training, timing is critical. Knowing when to remain silent is as vital as knowing what to say. In challenging moments, it can be beneficial to observe whether players can resolve issues independently. Interrupting too frequently can disrupt the flow of the training session.
“I think [Pochettino] does a really good job of knowing when to step in in a training session and say, ‘Guys, we have to have more. You need more. I need more from you’ or ‘We need to do this as a group better,'” said Ream. “And I think when you interject immediately when you see something wrong, I think if you do it too much, it loses its value.
“Mauricio, he has this innate ability to know when is the right time to step in and when is the right time to just watch and see.”
This approach aligns well with what occurs during matches. It is a players’ game, and once the whistle blows, the manager’s influence is limited. Often, it falls to the players to adapt and make decisions on the fly. McKenzie compares it to an assembly line.
“You’re going through the training sessions and you’re building that framework of the car, but the driver is going to be the one who ultimately is able to get the most out of that vehicle,” he said. “And that’s pretty much the picture I’d say of what Mauricio wants to do.”
Away from the training ground is when Pochettino engages in some of his most significant work. It is an opportunity to connect with a player, learn about their background, and understand their home life. This setting allows for a gentler form of communication, free from the heightened emotions of a game or practice. It provides Pochettino with more insight into how to motivate each player effectively.
“He’s wanting to have personal conversations. He’s wanting to know about your family,” Ream said. “He’s wanting to understand and know everybody on a much deeper connected level. Guys were a little bit uneasy about that kind of thing early on and now they understand how he operates and how he works.”
Turner added: “When you have a coach that is intense, demanding, and loving, you take the time to get to know him, and you see what works communication-wise and what doesn’t work. Then, you try to learn a lot about each other and just open up.”
The outcome is a heightened sense of unity throughout the team. During the previous cycle, there was much discussion about the camaraderie among players. Now, the term that is frequently used is “family” — one that encompasses not just the players, but the entire staff as well.
“That family side of it is huge,” McKenzie said, “and it creates an environment where the door is open for guys to have conversations and feel like you’re part of the team, whether it’s your first camp or whether it’s your 51st camp.”
This closeness is preparing both players and staff for the challenges of the World Cup, which begins for the USMNT on June 12 against Paraguay. If the USMNT performs as they aspire, they could find themselves together for two months in the intense environment of the sport’s premier tournament, from the start of their camp in May to the World Cup final on July 19.
“It has to be that way because you’re all trying to do something incredible,” said Ream. “You’re all going to a tournament that’s going to be the biggest one in the history of this sport. You have to have those feelings. You have to be that close. You have to be that tight-knit. You have to feel all of that, because without that it doesn’t matter.”
