All eyes were on the new USMNT coach, who expressed 'massive shock' at fan support in his debut
AUSTIN, Texas – As fans entered Austin's Q2 Stadium on Saturday night ahead of the U.S. men's national team's match with Panama, they were handed posters clearly inspired by Ted Lasso.
"Believe" was featured at the top, with the Spanish translation "Creer" on the bottom. The face on those posters, though, wasn't Lasso (portrayed in the streaming show by Jason Sudeikis), but rather the new main character of American soccer.
Before, during and after kickoff, this tone was set: more than the players on the field, Saturday's match was about the man on the sidelines: Mauricio Pochettino.
The new USMNT coach took center stage, and it was Pochettino's face that adorned those posters – as well as the banner behind one goal throughout the match. That banner had the same message: "Believe."
Right now, that seems to be what it's all about.
After a difficult summer, some of the belief was drained from the USMNT. Exiting a Copa America in a embarrassing fashion on home soil will do that to you. Restoring that belief isn't a simple flip of the switch, of course, but rather a process – one that began on this October night in Austin.
Pochettino's primary task is making people believe. Players, fans, media, everyone – his job is now to convince the world that this USMNT can do something special in 2026. When the World Cup kicks off in June of that year, will the USMNT be ready? That's the question Pochettino was hired to answer, and why all eyes were on him on Saturday night.
That's why it was his face on those posters.
The 2-0 win over Panama was simply a first step toward making people believe. It wasn't a massive leap, but they won't all be. Small steps are good, as long keep adding up, and are all moving in the right direction. We'll see where those steps take this USMNT but, at least on an important opening night, it was easy to see the new life injected into the USMNT just from Pochettino's arrival.
Getty Images SportAn 'amazing' introduction
It's not often that fans flock to stadiums to see … the coach. Saturday was one of those unusual nights. By distributing those posters, with a very targeted message, U.S. Soccer was acknowledging what everyone knew: this was Pochettino's night.
The veteran coach, of course, is more than comfortable in the spotlight. It was as bright as it could possibly be in his coaching stops at clubs such as Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea. He's used to having eyes on him and being the center of attention. This, however, seemed different – even to him.
Many of the 20,000-plus fans in the stadium were there to see him. Aside from perhaps Christian Pulisic, Pochettino's introduction received the loudest applause of the pregame. When it comes to the support of the coach, the mood has taken a complete 180 compared to the final days of the Gregg Berhalter era.
Part of that is because Pochettino is new, of course. There's an excitement here that could wear off with a run of bad results. Pochettino knows that better than most. Right now, though, he very much is the face of American soccer – literally and figuratively.
"It was amazing," Pochettino said of the support for his debut. "Thank you, fans. They were amazing. Of course, it was a massive shock for me to see my face behind the goal! I am so happy. I have a very good connection with the fans and it's important to translate this connection with those fans. Players need to feel the support. I'm so happy, so happy."
And Pochettino knows that the relationship with fans is a two-way street. Fresh starts are great, but continued results are what matter.
"I'm very grateful," he said, "and it only increases our responsibility to deliver for everyone here."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesA winning first impression
This was Pochettino's debut and, given the month-long saga that it took to get him here and another month before his first camp, it felt a long-time coming. American soccer had been waiting to see what a Pochettino-led team would look like. On Saturday, they got a glimpse.
In some ways, Pochettino got more out of less. His first USMNT XI is one that was missing up to six potential starters because of injuries. Despite that, they looked more fluid than they have at any point since their Copa America win over Bolivia.
We all know what happened next in that tournament. A red card, coincidentally against Panama, derailed the USMNT's Copa America, ultimately leading to Berhalter's firing and Pochettino's hiring. There was no such incident on Saturday and, despite a few scares, goals from Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi were enough to win the day.
"No one getting sent off was a good start, that definitely helped us," defender Antonee Robinson joked to TNT postgame. "Most of the game we dictated pretty well. There were times in the second half where they had us hanging on to the lead but, other than that, we've seen the game out pretty well. We executed the game plan as close as we could, having four days of practice with the new manager.
"The efforts the lads put in – a lot of the lads haven't played for a while or together – so I'm proud of the way we dug in."
Pochettino was proud, too, as he saw his new players adapt to several big changes he made to the team's structure.
Getty ImagesTactical tweaks
It was clear early in the match: this was going to look different.
Musah, a midfielder generally for club and country, was shifted out to right-wingback, a position he was comfortable in from his time at Valencia. Pulisic and Aaronson, the team's main wingers, tucked in. Joe Scally, who usually plays left-back, was instead on the left of a back three, allowing Musah and Robinson to bomb forward.
It was a very different look, but not something that overwhelmed the players. Prior to camp, Pochettino said he was wary of bringing "chaos" to the group in his first camp. He didn't. He certainly changed things around, but he didn't completely erase the foundations.
"Overall, I think it was a very professional performance," he said, "and we are happy because I think all the things that we said before the game, we got. I think it's an important victory."
ImagnResponse from players
Prior to Pochettino's arrival, the USMNT was caught sleepwalking last month through a loss to Canada and a draw with New Zealand. After both games, the players themselves admitted that this team lacked intensity. The fire wasn't there, and the results proved it.
One friendly doesn't erase that, nor does it make the USMNT world-beaters. But it was clear to see throughout the team's camp in Austin that, right now, everyone's feeling the pressure.
Despite what they went through this summer, players repeatedly said that Pochettino is rapidly rebuilding any confidence that may have disippated with their early Copa America exit.
"It's a big point of emphasis with him," said Tim Ream, the USMNT's captain for the night. "Knowing the caliber of manager that he is, the caliber of players that he's managed previously, for him to come in and give guys that license to be themselves, to play with intensity, do it going forward in the right areas, I think it allows guys to express themselves more and more and more."
That process is only just beginning. Bigger tests are ahead, starting on Tuesday against Mexico in what is certain to be a raucous environment in Guadalajara. To earn a similar result, the USMNT will have to be even better. They'll need to shake off tired legs, refocus and absorb more of Pochettino's concepts.
And they'll need to do so without some of their best players, after U.S. Soccer announced Sunday that Pulisic, Pepi, Weston McKennie, Zack Steffen and Marlon Fossey will all be returning to their club teams ahead of the Mexico match, with Pochettino saying, "We are always going to make decisions that are in the best interest of our players and respect the relationship we have with their clubs."
That might take some steam out of the test against their rivals, but that doesn't change the meaning of the opening-match win.
"I think this is the basis for the first step to start," Pochettino said after the Panama match. "Now, we are going to have a few days of recovery and see and to analyze and make the best decisions for the team."
Pochettino and the USMNT are on to their next challenge, but you always remember your first. Pochettino's first game in charge wasn't perfect but it sure was memorable, particularly for the thousands in attendance who left Q2 stadium with a souvenir commemorating the arrival of the face of the USMNT's program.