Think of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. One might say he led the team to 6 Championships. However, give credit to Phil Jackson, who was equally responsible for leading them to a title. As the Paris Olympics concluded, Emma Hayes claimed the gold medal for the USWNT following effective leadership from the beginning. It’s time for Mauricio Pochettino to take over the mantle of the USMNT.

No matter what, the USMNT team will be challenged with a skilled coach who brings European experience. The player has no excuses. Really. The era of Gregg Berhalter saw instances where players blamed the coach for tactical inaccuracies or any other issues. In all fairness, they don’t have that luxury now.

It’s not a player-led team anymore. It’s a coach-led team! Hence, an insider, Jeff Carlisle, appeared on ESPN to give his take on the appointment of the Argentinean. He stated, “That’s been the danger throughout the whole process with Gregg Berhalter. Because anytime the US didn’t get a result, they should have or they played poorly. Immediately, the blame was placed on Gregg Berhalter. Now that the US has a top coach coming into the team, I think the players are officially out of excuses.”

The shoddy Copa America performances raised questions about the player’s capability to handle pressure. Results suggest they couldn’t. Pretty obvious, wasn’t it? With the nation hosting the Copa America, their fans shut their eyes in disbelief at the performances of the players and the entire team. With Poch preferring players who will run to the ground, the USMNT players need to roll their socks up big time.

Carlisle continued with an exclamatory statement, “I mean, they are going to be scrutinized to a much greater degree than they have been in the past. There have been questions about how good this team really is. In the last 18 months, this group of players has not really progressed in a way that a lot of people hope they will do.”

Mauricio Pochettino will test the limits of USMNT!

Pochettino’s arrival will put players like Weston McKennie to the test, especially those who are frequently accused of not being serious. Significantly, his career trajectory speaks for itself. From playing for Italian giants Juventus, McKennie moved to Leeds United, a team plying trade in English soccer’s second tier.

Notably, Carlisle cited the example of Matt Turner. The U.S. goalkeeper left Arsenal to join Nottingham Forest only to become the second-choice goalkeeper at a club, fighting relegation most seasons. Therefore, things look promising for the national team.

We want the USMNT to win trophies and Pochettino, one may say, will be our last throw of the dice. Can he lead the team forward or crumble under pressure like his counterparts?