The question came 20 minutes into Mauricio Pochettino’s introductory press conference as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team. Asked about the incident for the first time in his native Spanish.
“It will give me a break,” Pochettino joked about the opportunity to rest his English.
“What challenges made you want to accept a job in the United States?” the reporter asked.
The question goes to the root of a problem that has dogged the entire campaign for a glitzy high-rise in New York City’s Hudson Yards development. Why would a manager with such a prestigious reputation see this as his next step?
The 52-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager first spoke about his experience meeting with U.S. Soccer executives and then spoke about the sport’s huge potential in the United States before moving on to discuss the matter at hand. Mission: To take the USMNT to a different level.
“This is a challenge that takes us out of our comfort zone,” Pochettino said in Spanish with a smile. “The easiest thing for us to do is to take on something we already know, we already have a quick vision and idea (how to make it happen). But here, it’s about taking on something that people don’t know; Get out of your comfort zone so you can challenge yourself.
“It’s not just a challenge to achieve goals together, it’s also a challenge to challenge yourself.”
USSF chief executive JT Batson, technical director Matt Crocker, Pochettino and president Cindy Parlow (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Whether intentional or not, Pochettino has set himself on a parallel path with his new team. The idea of ”growing out of your comfort zone” has been part of the USMNT’s improvement journey for several cycles. The idea dates back to the days of Jurgen Klinsmann, but was also frequently discussed by former coach Gregg Berhalter.
But the idea is not just to go to Europe and play for the biggest clubs. It’s about knowing how to find the right challenges that force you to grow. To get better.
Pochettino sees the job as a challenge to grow, which was perhaps the most important takeaway from Friday’s press conference. America needs a new voice to push them to take the next step, exceed potential and achieve results. They’ll now begin that journey with a coach who has more of a reputation than anyone else in the room but is looking for the same type of growth.
Pochettino came across as charming, excited and driven at the press conference. He talked about how happy he was to be on Team USA, the honor of being the first Spanish-speaking Latino coach in the program’s history, his connection with USA women’s coach Emma Hayes and his excitement for the win History’s potential impact The USWNT could play in the men’s program.
He told the story of learning the English term “over the Moon” during his early days as head coach of Premier League team Southampton and said he and his family yes He was very happy to take this new job.
His switching back and forth between English and Spanish is a historic moment in itself and represents how the hire creates unprecedented opportunities for U.S. Soccer to reach the country’s large and growing Latino population.
However, Pochettino clearly understands that attracting fans old and new comes down to one thing: winning.
Pochettino interviews the media at Hudson Yards (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Multiple times throughout the morning, Pochettino returned to a simple idea that he believes can drive this team forward: belief. During the hour-long event, he said the word “believe” more than a dozen times. For a coach known for his ability to inspire a locker room, it’s a hint that he will target mentality and psychology as much as tactics.
“‘Believe’ is a powerful word for me,” Pochettino said. “You can have huge talent, you can be smart, but in football you need to believe. Believe that anything is possible. If we find a way to make everyone believe, then we will succeed.
He later intensified the idea, setting his sights on the World Cup tournament the U.S. will co-host with Mexico and Canada in two years.
“We need to really believe in big things,” Pochettino said. “Believe that we can not only win a game, we can win a World Cup. … We want players to show up on the first day of training camp and think big. It’s about co-creating that concept or idea to execute and put it into your hands The only way to put your talents to work as a team is to be a huge challenge for us.
Restoring that faith will be his top priority as coach of the U.S. national team.
Team USA clearly lacks confidence in the September window, and Pochettino says that’s understandable given the outcome of the Copa America. The loss to Canada and the draw with New Zealand only amplified the problems within the group. However, Pochettino seemed less concerned about the team’s overall culture, mentioning at the time the idea of tapping into the “winning mentality” that permeates American sports and drawing inspiration from the winning culture that American women have long demonstrated.
“We are here because we want to win,” Pochettino said.
The video board announces Pochettino’s appointment for Cincinnati’s friendly against New Zealand (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Of course, ideas on how to play were also discussed.
“We are in America,” Pochettino said. “I think to convince our fans that this is what will appeal to (them) and the aesthetics are very important. We want to play beautiful football, exciting football, exciting football, attacking football. And then, of course, we want to play Possessing the ball, because our coaching staff also has a possession mentality. We need to run, we need to move, we need to give your teammates options and good angles. … And then when we don’t have the ball, we need to run. We need to be aggressive, we need to be competitive.
“The potential is there. The talent is there. It’s just about creating the best platform for them to express themselves.
While Pochettino acknowledged these are the hallmarks of his team, he also said he wanted to get to know his players first before announcing how this U.S. team will play.
The process will begin in the coming days, with Pochettino inevitably sitting down to meet with members of the roster, chief among them star winger Christian Pulisic. Pochettino said he wants to hear from individual members of the squad to get feedback on how they see things. He will then call up the team for the first time next month for friendlies in Austin, Texas, and Guadalajara, Mexico.
The process of sealing the deal was a long one, taking more than two months from the start of recruitment to his official introduction. Pochettino admitted it was difficult to wait for the game to end. He’s ready to go to work.
Now, the clock has started ticking. The United States is less than two years away from the World Cup, and it has a mountain to climb to prepare. However, they had a coach that few would have expected to lead this team into that game.
The coach will now try to instill confidence in and around this team.
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(Above: Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
