Seeing Mauricio Pochettino and Emma Hayes coach the respective men’s and women’s teams must be a proud moment for US Soccer fans, right? Few would have imagined that the Stars and Stripes could attract such revered names from the beautiful game to the States. Now that they’ve accomplished this, Tyler Adams has urged the USSF to capitalize on the opportunity and send a clear message to the world: “We’re taking a real shot at this now.” But at what?

Well, every opportunity there is. While the USWNT have already done so, getting over their 2023 World Cup heartbreak by winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the USMNT is preparing for their 2026 World Cup. Of course, the expectations are high from the so-called ‘Golden Generation’, who’ll be hosting the prestigious tournament.

“There’s no better time than now, especially with the crop of players that we have and that we’re producing,” Tyler Adams admitted during his exclusive chat on the Men in Blazers podcast, continuing, “It’s now to make a statement for the future that we’re going to be something special. Bringing in a manager like Poch, everyone in our changing room can look each other in the eye and say, ‘We’re taking a real shot at this now.'”

Bringing names like Pochettino and Hayes means straight business from USSF, something Adams is really pleased to see. “There’s no if, ends, or butts. You have to look at each other and know that we’re making the move now. I definitely appreciate US Soccer’s intent to want to win because that’s something that every single player wants to do,” he added.

It’s not that the USMNT wasn’t serious under former manager Gregg Berhalter; they simply needed a missing piece of their puzzle, which they’ve fortunately found in Pochettino. “Obviously, we created such an amazing foundation with Gregg and I think we still need to push things over the line. Bringing in a manager like this [Pochettino], we can do that,” concluded the Bournemouth star—looks like it’s a match made in heaven, both in terms of the arrivals for the USMNT and the USWNT, especially in the eyes of Adams.

Tyler Adams got his wish fulfilled with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino!

Earlier, Tyler Adams had called for a “ruthless” coach while US Soccer was searching for a new manager over the summer. By October, Mauricio Pochettino had taken the reins and quickly settled into his role. Even before Pochettino’s arrival, however, Adams and others were confident about what a strong hire he would be for the Stars and Stripes. “The name speaks for itself; the resume speaks for itself,” he admitted.

The Bournemouth star highlighted Pochettino’s impressive track record with clubs like Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, as well as his experience working with world-class players such as Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and others. “As you look at his resume, you know he means business,” concluded Adams.

This endorsement from Tyler Adams underscores that his demands have been fulfilled. Now, what remains to be seen is how effectively US Soccer can leverage Mauricio Pochettino’s expertise to elevate the team’s performance.