Mauricio Pochettino didn't expect to be here.
His appointment as United States men's national team head coach was not in the plans when he signed a two-year contract at Chelsea last season and made his triumphant return to the Premier League.
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But soccer management is a fickle industry and the U.S. has taken advantage of the unexpected availability of a top-tier coach, who still has much to prove despite having already taken on some of the biggest jobs in the sport.
“Hiring Mauricio is a step forward in our mission to compete at the highest level and make a lasting mark on the global soccer landscape,” U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said. “Mauricio understands the unique potential of this team and this country, and he shares our belief that U.S. Soccer is on the cusp of something truly special."
Pochettino heads to America after spells with Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Along the way his name has been mentioned in connection with Manchester United, Real Madrid and England. That is the level at which he is often pitched, which is why convincing him to succeed Gregg Berhalter can be viewed as a major coup for the U.S.
Not least because his appointment comes at a time when England is seeking a new coach and jobs may be on the horizon at United and Manchester City over the next 12 months.
Instead of waiting — as he did for 12 months between PSG and Chelsea — Pochettino has opted to dive straight back in after exiting Stamford Bridge at the end of last season and take up the project of leading America into a home World Cup in 2026.
It is a bold and somewhat surprising move. One that is unlikely to end with a trophy and offers no guarantee of him eventually returning to club soccer at the same level at which he leaves it.
Jurgen Klinsmann, who had managed Germany and Bayern Munich, followed his stint as U.S. coach by managing Hertha Berlin and South Korea.
“The decision to join U.S. Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino said.
What the U.S. does offer Pochettino is the chance to be the lynchpin of a project that has a clearly defined aim of leading the team at the next World Cup. That comes after the turbulence of coaching at PSG and Chelsea, two clubs with reputations for cycling through managers in their eternal hunt for success.
The 52-year-old Argentine was fired by PSG despite winning the French league in his only full season at the club. At Chelsea he served one year of his two-year deal amid chaotic dealings of co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who have spent nearly $1.3 billion on 39 players and had four different full-time managers since taking charge in 2022.
Against that backdrop, Pochettino is likely to appreciate a settled job with the U.S. and the chance to see through his vision at the heart of an exciting period for American soccer ahead of the World Cup and the growing popularity of MLS following Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami.
If that's what he will get from American soccer, what can American soccer expect from him?
“There’s a lot of things that need to change and just the the mentality and the culture of the group,” U.S. forward Christian Pulisic said. “I know, hopefully, that’s the first thing that he’s going to want to change.”
Developing talent was Pochettino's calling card at Southampton and then Tottenham in the Premier League.
Previously unheralded players at Southampton were suddenly being picked up by England's top teams after working with Pochettino. Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Rickie Lambert left for Liverpool, with Luke Shaw and later Morgan Schneiderlin joined United.
At Tottenham he nurtured the talent of Harry Kane — who had yet to show his potential as a world-class striker. Son Heung-min, Dele Alli and Kyle Walker all flourished under him.
Now the job is to get the best out of talents like Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Timothy Weah.
While bigger jobs and bigger prizes came for Pochettino after Southampton and Spurs, he was arguably at his best in that period — particularly at Tottenham, which he took to the brink of the Premier League title and the Champions League. He fell short in both instances, which has been the basis for questions about his ability to win the big trophies. But an alternative view is that he overachieved with a club that hasn't won the English league since 1961 and hasn't won any trophy since 2008.
Pochettino was in his element at Spurs — managing an underdog team to unexpected heights. A job not so dissimilar to the U.S. in that respect.
His search for silverware ended with PSG, where he lifted the title. But his failure to deliver the Champions League ultimately cost him.
A return to England with Chelsea was supposed to be his chance to lay foundations. He led the team to the final of the League Cup and semifinals of the FA Cup. A revival in the second half of the season went some way to salvaging the campaign with a sixth -place finish and qualification to the Europa Conference League. Yet the season still ended with his departure, but he emerged with a certain amount of credit, given the turmoil surrounding Chelsea under its American ownership.
Now a new challenge awaits when the definition of success will be less binary than his most recent experiences.
After the disappointment of the Copa America for the U.S., he takes over the team at a low ebb.
A likable character, who, at his best, generates buy-in to his vision from players and fans alike, Pochettino's first job will be to lift spirits as much as standards.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer