Ever since taking charge of the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino has been subject to close attention by many who are watching his every move. Recently during a pre-match conference ahead of their second-leg clash with Jamaica, the coach commented on how the MLS is just as tough as its European competitors, with fellow MLS manager Wilfried Nancy sharing the same view. 

The MLS Coach of the Year highlights that the league standards have improved considerably during his time at the top division of soccer in the United States. This comes after Pochettino publicly said that the MLS is a very physical league and it’s not easy to play there. The Columbus Crew manager agrees with the Argentine on the rising standard of the MLS and shared his views on the ‘Running the Game’ podcast. 

“In the beginning, it was a bit the same, but (in) the last 5/6 years, tactically in MLS, I can see the style of play of different teams, I can see the desire to adjust things,” said Nancy, who drew comparisons between some teams’ playing styles as those of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United and Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid, both renowned for their aggressive pressing tactics.

“A lot of teams now what they try to (do) is press a lot, and when the pressure is beaten, Boom! They go back with a lot of numbers behind the ball, now this is the tendency” added the French manager. And this tactic has worked brilliantly for the French manager, as he led the Columbus Crew to three Cup Finals. 

Amid arguments on who deserves the MLS Coach of the Year, let’s not forget what the Crew have accomplished this season. Nancy’s side boasts the best goal-differential in the league and is only the other team alongside Inter Miami to win nine home and away matches in the regular season. The Columbus Crew also won the 2024 Leagues Cup, beating LAFC in the final. 

Although the MLS players performed well in the league, only four were named in Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad which begs the question, Is MLS still not good enough? 

What more do MLS players need to do?

Only Tim Ream started from Charlotte FC and featured in the 5-2 aggregate win over Jamaica during the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal. Pochettino has assured that the MLS players would earn minutes on the field if they excel for their clubs, but even that is not materializing. Taking a look at the goalkeeper situation, none of the players currently mentioned in the USMNT squad are getting regular game minutes. 

Previously, not a single MLS player managed to get game time under former manager Gregg Berhalter during the 2024 Copa América campaign. On the positive side, players like Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams started their careers in the MLS before getting chances in Europe. With 2 years to prepare ahead of the World Cup at home, it will be intriguing to see how many of them represent the Stars and Stripes.