The moment has come for the USMNT to embark on a new journey. After some let-downs, particularly in Copa America and the September friendly matches, they appear to be facing Panama, who beat them in the last faceoff. With their head coach, Mauricio Pochettino firmly in place, it’s time to step on a big stage.

After a loss to Canada and a disappointing 1-1 draw with New Zealand, Christian Pulisic, one of the stars of the team, let his feelings flow. “There’s a lot of things we need to change just the mentality and the culture of the group we have the quality and I know hopefully that’s the first thing,” said Pulisic in his post-match interview.

Mauricio Pochettino, identifiable by his calm nature and managing young players, handled the player comments with a calm nature during the interview. “I think he was frustrated,” he said, he understood from where Pulisic was coming from. “It’s normal that the player, after the game, is upset.” 

Mauricio Pochettino, who recently took over as head coach, is aware of the frustrating situation but sees it a bit differently. Pochettino doesn’t think the issue is a question of culture. “The culture of the USA is the culture of the USA,” he says, explaining that you don’t change something like this. Pochettino has experienced enough countries and teams to understand that each club, each nation, possesses its own particular characteristics. To him, it’s not about culture change. It’s about embracing the culture, improving mental capacity, and adapting the game.

The Argentine coach delivered a bit of wisdom in his response, “Football is not about to sing it’s about to show and to be natural.” He means to say that they do not have to overthink things. Well, they have the talents, which is clear. However, they must believe in their collective team identity and take pride in that.

He also believes that sometimes it’s better not to find answers to every problem but to have faith in your abilities and play with pride because talent will speak for itself.

Mauricio Pochettino era begins as USMNT prepares for Nations League showdown

The next leg of USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final will be played at Citypark in St. Louis, Missouri on November 18, which will be the first competitive match for the Americans under new coach Pochettino. Two-game series where the first leg will heap on November 13 with an opponent to be determined after October’s group stage. The men have successfully defended the cup three times, in the years 2021, 2023, and also 2024.

Pochettino takes over from Gregg Berhalter following the latter’s dismissal on the back of a dismal showing in the Copa America where the team was eliminated in the group stage. He will make his coaching debut in a pair of friendly matches against Panama in Austin on October 12 and Mexico in Guadalajara on October 15.

As the team regroups and looks ahead to future challenges, Pochettino’s message is clear: they have the talent, they have the ability, and now all they need to do is believe it. The coming months will be crucial for both players and coach as they come together to create something lasting, something deserving of that pride Pulisic speaks of.