He may not officially be the USMNT's new coach, but Pochettino will have a close eye on matches against Canada and New Zealand
Mauricio Pochettino is not the U.S. men's national team coach. Well, at least not yet. Though long-reported to have agreed to take the job, he's not officially in place for the September friendlies. For now, the interim job belongs to Mikey Varas.
But make no mistake: the Pochettino Era has begun. Maybe not officially, but you can feel the weight of the manager's impending arrival. The slate has been wiped clean and, with less than two years left until the World Cup kicks off, there's only so much time for players to state their cases for national team roles.
That begins in this camp, which will include friendlies against Canada (Saturday) and New Zealand (Sept. 10). Varas has already shaken up the squad, calling in some new faces while leaving some familiar ones at home.
Pochettino, meanwhile, will presumably be watching on, meticulously monitoring and assessing the squad. All future camps will look and feel different, but this one already looks and feels different than those that preceded it under former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.
The new era is beginning and Pochettino, like the rest of us, can only observe – for now. But what will he be looking for? What sort of storylines will define this camp? GOAL takes a look.
GettyBalogun's style
From the moment he arrived, Folarin Balogun was a talking point. To be fair, you could say that it began even before he committed. The striker is often the center of attention, as all good strikers are.
As his USMNT career has unfolded, there's been ample talk about how to get the best out of him. Balogun seems most formidable as a pure get-in-behind striker, one who makes defenses uncomfortable with his pace and movement. Under Berhalter, that wasn't often on display, for multiple reasons. It was partly because the USMNT were often ball-dominant against lesser teams, but it was also partly due to Berhalter's play-style, which called for possession and wingplay.
We likely won't see any grand changes under Varas, but will Balogun's role look different going forward? And will we get any glimpses of how he could be used, based on these two games?
"I've had a few conversations with Mikey prior to coming into camp," Balogun said this week. "It's similar messages. He wants me to be aggressive. He wants me to continue to use my strength and make my strengths even more of a strength. I wouldn't say there's too much [change].
"Of course, any coach will tell you that, from his striker, he wants goals, so that's something that I'm still focused on and I'm also focused on finding ways to help the team create chances. As much as Mikey will have different things he'll want from me, I still think the overall message is the same: to help the team in any way possible."
We'll see what Pochettino thinks when he gets involved, but this camp could offer a glimpse into a new version of Balogun.
AdvertisementGettyThe goalkeeper situation
Matt Turner's still the No. 1 … right? Probably? We can't be as sure these days because there are so many variables when it comes to the goalkeeper position.
Unfortunately, there's no clear-cut answer in a position that desperately needs things to be clear-cut. Every goalkeeper in the pool has positives and negatives, including Turner.
At the club level, Turner isn't playing. He hasn't been a starter since January. He just moved to Crystal Palace, where he'll at least begin as a backup. It's a tough position to be in, even if Turner has been largely good throughout his USMNT career.
Patrick Schulte was the U.S. U23 squad's Olympic starter, but he had some rocky moments. Barcelona's Diego Kochen is here for the first time, but he hasn't even made his senior debut, which makes this feel like a recruiting tactic. Gaga Slonina wasn't called into camp while Ethan Horvath, the true backup in the squad, is reliable, but likely not a contender to be the No. 1.
So how could Pochettino sort this out? Could this camp offer someone like Schulte a chance to prove he's a viable contender for the starting gig? We likely won't find out against Canada, but New Zealand offer a more realistic window into the future.
IMAGO / Just pictures Different looks at fullback
For years, the USMNT has started Sergino Dest on the right and Antonee Robinson on the left. The last real USMNT XI without both of them came back in March 2023 in Grenada, with both returning to the starting lineup three days later.
Neither are in camp this time. Dest is injured and Robinson has been given time to rest at Fulham, having proven himself as the starter long ago. So what does that mean for this USMNT? What does the fullback position look like without them?
On the right, it's pretty obvious. Joe Scally is good enough to start and, depending on what Pochettino wants out of his fullbacks, he realistically could. He's defensively solid, which means he offers something different than Dest. Backing him up this time around is Marlon Fossey, who could get a chance to play his way into contention, as well.
As for the left, it's interesting. Kristoffer Lund has been a backup for the last year but has played just three times. Caleb Wiley is a rising star who is now playing very well in Ligue 1, but is he even a fullback at the highest level?
Regardless, Pochettino's expected arrival should reset the positions, which means all of these players will be looking to make a good impression.
GettyMissing Adams and McKennie
Dest and Scally aren't the only major absences. The center of the park also looks very different as two-thirds of the "MMA" midfield isn't in camp. With no Tyler Adams and no Weston McKennie, that means that the door is open for others.
Johnny Cardoso is likely best positioned to break through. He's largely been a backup with the USMNT, but he's shown in La Liga that he can be more. He'll likely get a start, if not two, to show that he's ready to push Adams, whose spot is no longer guaranteed under the new regime.
Aidan Morris is off to a hot start in the Championship with Middlesbrough, which means he may not be there for long. Morris has had tastes of the USMNT, earning five caps, but his move to Middlesbrough, combined with this opportunity, could pave the way for more.
"I've enjoyed it," Morris said. "It's been cool. I haven't really been with this group a whole lot, so it's been cool seeing some new faces and integrating myself with them all. It's been early, only a few training sessions, but I've enjoyed it all so far.
"There are always opportunities in what we do. Whether those two guys [Adams and McKennie] are here, I hope to get an opportunity down the road as well. But I'll do my best to show myself and be the best version of myself."
Luca de la Torre, meanwhile, has plenty of USMNT experience and is also playing in a top league in Spain. And then there's Malik Tillman as the No. 10, which could be very fun if he can bring his PSV form to camp.
The midfield is going to have a different look and feel, aside from Yunus Musah, of course. Adams and McKennie aren't going anywhere, but their spots aren't as secure as they once were.