Even before Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the USMNT, the ex-Chelsea manager had his eye on one of the Stars and Stripes' most impactful midfielders.
Two months after parting ways with Gregg Berhalter, U.S. Soccer announced Pochettino as the new U.S. men's national team head coach. Following his departure from Chelsea, the 52-year-old was among the biggest targets to lead the USMNT ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The manager met and trained with his new squad, featuring USMNT veterans Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream, for the first time during the October international break. The team defeated Panama 2–0 before losing to Mexico for the first time since 2019.
One month later, Pochettino called up 20 of the same players to his squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. One name missing from both rosters, though, was Tyler Adams, someone Pochettino revealed he wanted to bring to Chelsea last season.






