CINCINNATI — The Mauricio Pochettino era can't start soon enough.
The U.S. men's national team closed out the September international window with a disappointing 1-1 draw against New Zealand on Tuesday. It was a game the U.S. largely controlled and deservedly took the lead in the 69th minute thanks to an 11-pass sequence that was expertly finished by substitute Christian Pulisic.
And then, as has often happened during this cruel summer for the U.S. national team, it couldn't close the deal and was awarded a goal in bizarre fashion. Caleb Wiley failed to stop a long ball in the 89th minute and Mark McKenzie's attempted clearance bounced off New Zealand forward Ben Waine and over a stranded Matt Turner and into the U.S. net.
The result, against a team the U.S. should have easily beaten in front of a two-thirds-full TQL Stadium, proved a fitting end to a brutal three-month stretch. Including a pair of Copa America warm-up games, the U.S. national team prevailed just once during that time, a 2-0 win over an underperforming Bolivian team. Overall, the U.S. went 1-4-2. It’s the end of a chapter the players won’t look back on with any fondness.
“We didn't have that killer instinct in the final third,” Turner said. “Something was missing, something was missing. We couldn't put the game away in the moments we had it. And then there was an unexpected goal. And that kind of sums up where the program is right now.”
More reasons to look forward. Earlier in the evening, it was announced that Pochettino had finally, after a long saga over the past month, been chosen to be the next U.S. coach. That alone was cause for loud celebration. Players were informed last Sunday that Pochettino was likely to join the team. They were informed earlier on Tuesday that this was already the case. At long last, the U.S. national team will have the kind of high-profile coach fans have been craving. Perhaps for the first time in this World Cup cycle, there is a reason to look forward with optimism. Players seem ready to embrace the change.
“We have to take a big step forward,” Pulisic said. “I think we have the quality and now it's time to compete and try to win. So that's the next step.”
This made the match that followed have a last-day-of-school feel, especially with a new manager, Pochettino, ready to take over. The past cannot be undone. Every player seems to benefit from a clean slate.
Admittedly, this wasn't the most impressive lineup for the U.S. team. Players like Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams were left off the roster for various reasons related to their fitness and health. Pulisic started the game on the bench, although he came on as a substitute in the second half.
But auditions for jobs have already begun. You can bet that somewhere, Pochettino was watching, probably from a hotel in New York where he will be officially introduced on Friday. There didn't seem to be too many performances that caught the eye. Every sharp move was thwarted by a bad move, or at least a baffling decision.
The U.S. certainly showed more fight than when it fell to Canada 2-1 three days ago, a result that marked the first time in 67 years that the U.S. fell to its northern neighbor on home soil. Aside from the occasional mishap (such as Yunus Musah giving Matthew Garbett a clear chance in the second minute), the U.S. team had most of the ball. Ricardo Pepi scored an apparent goal in the 20th minute, but it was ruled out for a foul during the buildup.
That said, Aidan Morris probably showed more than most, playing a key role in the sequence that led to Pulisic’s goal. And given Tyler Adams’ ongoing injury problems, Morris’ development will be a topic of conversation going forward. But even he wasn’t immune to mistakes, including a reckless foul in the 56th minute that sparked a New Zealand counterattack.
Turner also made the most of his starting role, making pinpoint saves when needed. Given his struggles to get game time at club level, even after his loan move to Crystal Palace, he will always take something positive from everything he can.
But the biggest positive of the night was that now that Pochettino's signing is official, everyone can look ahead, even though there is a glimmer of uncertainty about his arrival and what he will bring. The level of speculation about the manager's status will be reduced to zero. Pochettino is the man for the foreseeable future. The fight for minutes can begin, especially considering Pochettino's reputation is that no one is guaranteed anything.
When asked what Pochettino could change immediately, culture was mentioned more than once, although it is difficult to give a definition. Asked to explain what “culture” meant, Pulisic said: “I mean that winning mentality. It's something that's missing. I can't explain it exactly.”
Defender Marlon Fossey, making his U.S. national team debut, further refined his skills.
“How people show up to training every day, standards [on] “The football field,” he said.[Pochettino] “He would have been surrounded by some of the best players in the world, so I think he will be able to pass that on to us and hopefully take us to another level.”
Turner recalled how last season he and Nottingham Forest faced Pochettino's Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and won 1-0. But he also recalled the trajectory of that season for both Chelsea and Pochettino.
“Last year, Chelsea got a lot out of their teammates. The players played well,” Turner said of Pochettino. “They played freely, they had the ball a bit, but more often than not, they were tactically sound all over the pitch. They were in a position to succeed. And I think that was probably their biggest strength, especially.”
“It took time. It wasn't like he snapped his fingers when he came in and everything was better. Chelsea struggled at the start of the season but by the end of the season they were a team you definitely didn't want to play against.”
There was a time when that was the spirit of the U.S. national team. That is no longer the case. If Pochettino can instill that ethos in the team, it will be a positive first step and help put the memories of the summer of 2024 behind them.
