And…breathe! Mauricio Pochettino successfully managed to pass his first-ever test as USMNT manager. The American boys secured an easy 2-0 victory over Panama at Austin, Texas-based Q2 Stadium. But interestingly enough, before leaving for their next clash against Mexico, Pochettino had a special message for his fellow counterpart, Emma Hayes.

More than a message, the Argentinian tactician has rather passed the torch to his former Chelsea colleague. Pochettino reminded fans that another match would be played at this very place in the coming week. “Thank you so much to the fans. You were fantastic and came pass-through for the team, for myself, for my coaching staff, for our country,” he said while speaking for the USMNT’s official X handle.

“Now, it’s up to you, Emma. Now, next game here. It’s a fantastic place. Enjoy your soccer and everything. Bye, good luck,” concluded Poch, urging fans to showcase similar support for the American ladies as well, who will be playing their friendly match against Iceland on October 24, Thursday in Austin.

The former Tottenham manager has urged the fans to display similar affection and passion for Hayes and Co. as they did in today’s match, especially the attendance that turned out to be. Notably, a crowd of over 20,239 made their way to the 20,738-capacity Q2 Stadium. This is certainly a remarkable number to achieve in terms of attendance.

Then again, this strong turnout was expected. Excitement had been building around Pochettino’s debut as the USMNT manager, and fortunately, it went exceptionally well. While the first half remained a goalless affair, it still had a few opportunities. Striker Josh Sargent had a decisive moment during the game to score but sadly missed his chance.

It was the beginning of the second half that saw a turnaround point. Aaron Robinson tried to dribble his way through the left flank but made a quick pass to Pulisic, who played a one-two pass with Brenden Aaronson. The AC Milan forward made a subtle cross inside the 6-yard box and was able to find Yunus Musah, who finally broke his side’s deadlock in the 49th minute.

Even though it was a fragile lead, the Stars and Stripes showcased all signs of dominance, keeping a 55% possession. As we neared the end of the match, Pochettino had made all five changes in the team. Luckily, that proved to be game-changing as the injury time saw Haji Wright make a decent cross to Ricardo Pepi, who netted the second for USMNT in his home state.

It’s safe to say that USMNT was far better in the latter 45 minutes, compared to the first one, as it only garnered a lot of criticism!

A+ after full-time but C- before half-time for Mauricio Pochettino and USMNT!

Less than 30 minutes into the USMNT vs. Panama match, Alexi Lalas offered his first critique of Mauricio Pochettino. Posting on X, Lalas shared his “first half observations,” pointing out areas where the team struggled, despite the presence of their new coach. Before taking an individual dig at a few names, he noted issues with set pieces, particularly corners and free kicks, that the players weren’t connecting brilliantly. 

Then Lalas questioned why midfielder Yunus Musah was playing as a winger. The pundit also remarked that striker Josh Sargent wasn’t receiving enough deliveries from his teammates to showcase his scoring ability, though he did miss a key chance. Likewise, Brenden Aaronson and Gianluca Busio, who were finally back in the lineup after a long time, also failed to make an impact.

Regardless, what matters is the end result, which USMNT was able to ace with flying colors.