Mauricio Pochettino has redefined what constitutes a successful performance for USMNT at 2026 World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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There are no barriers in sight. Oh, they’ll show up eventually, wearing the uniform of Argentina or France or England or someone we might not see coming, but the question that defined United States men’s national team preparations for their second-ever home World Cup – what would constitute success? – is as relevant as “Where’s the beef?” or “Who shot J.R.?
Defining success by how deep (or, to be fair, how soon) into the tournament the U.S. men lose is for the past. This World Cup now is about how long they can continue to win.
With the 2-0 victory Friday afternoon in Seattle added to the three-goal decimation of Paraguay on opening night, the U.S. stands in first place in Group D.
Never before in the modern era, which began with qualification for Italia ’90, have the USMNT won their first two World Cup games. Never before have they stood with a plus-5 goal differential. Never have they been in position where the final game of the group was meaningless relative to advancement.
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I’m going to guess that never before at a World Cup has a gathering of fans stood in the stadium and joyfully chanted the name of the U.S. head coach. Maybe I’m wrong. Doubt it.
“Maybe I am talking too much about our private meeting after the game, but today, even if I am not American, after the game I was emotional because … the fans were amazing,” Mauricio Pochettino told reporters in Seattle. “The warm reception, and the way they support us, and the way they celebrate the victory, they make it feel very emotional. And the players are very emotional, too.”
From the time he was hired in September 2024, Pochettino’s process remained nebulous to those who follow the USMNT, to those who cover it regularly, to those who cover it periodically but still with plenty of passion. And he made little effort to help any of them understand where this all would go.
Turns out it was like looking over Van Gogh’s shoulder and trying to discern what sort of picture he was painting.
Pochettino has taken this group of players overzealously assigned a “golden generation” tag and spun them into a team that plays together, that plays fiercely and, more than anything, plays audaciously.
Even without forward Christian Pulisic, their established star held out because of a calf injury, the U.S. mesmerized the Australia defense with individual skill, tight combination play and individual speed as they had in the 4-1 opening game victory against Paraguay.
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There was the great cross in the 5th minute from midfielder Weston McKennie that forward Ricardo Pepi, in for Pulisic, couldn’t quite get to it with his head. There was the sweet give-and-go between McKennie and Sergino Dest in the 9th minute that produced a strong shot from Dest blocked by defender Cameron Burgess. And there was the sizzling move down the left side by forward Folarin Balogun after a pretty pass down the left sideline from left wingback Antonee Robinson, which produced Balogun’s pass into the middle for Pepi and — another own goal.
The USMNT have come out so forcefully in each of their first two games that the opposition wound up bungling the ball across their own goal line.
That relentless attack continued until just before halftime, when a free kick from near the end line was played by Robinson to the top of the box, where Dest blasted a shot. It was deflected into the air, and young Alex Freeman beat Aussie keeper Patrick Beach to the ball, heading it in for the second goal.
“Today, with the possibility to play with two strikers, we tried to pin the three center backs and using the pocket in behind the midfielder and move the ball quick from one side to the other,” Pochettino said. “This triangle – on one side Antonee, Pepi and Malik (Tillman), and then Weston, Sergino and Balo – with the possibility to also remember our position. To play from our position, but feeling free to change, to move, to create … and not to give reverence to the opposition.
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“We built the victory in our attitude. The first action, when we started the game, did you see how Pepi and Balo went to press? When that happened the will to go to do and make effort … We were talking yesterday in the press conference: They don’t play long ball. They play passes. And I think we forced them to play long.”
This was the first USMNT trip to Seattle in a decade, their last coming when they were on their to the semifinals of the Copa America Centenario. Perhaps they should be a more regular visitor. Seattle always has been a terrific soccer city, one of the most enthusiastic in Major League Soccer, and their enthusiasm was no small part of Friday’s victory.
“We need to keep believing, and approach every single day that we’re approaching from day one: believing that we can win, knowing we need to work very hard but at the same time enjoying the time together, building every day our journey until the next game,” Pochettino said.
“It’s not changed too much, my view, my dreams or what I am seeing. When you see a good performance and win the games, it makes easier everything. But at the same time it’s to keep believing. Before we were talking one game, three points. Now it’s two games, six points. We need to go for the next one.
“To be better every day is not to relax.”
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The next one might not matter. The USMNT never has stood in this position. There is no assurance this continues, because soccer can be a capricious sport. Skill and dominance aren’t always rewarded, but they pay off a lot more often than luck and nerve.
This is all so new, at least from the American perspective. It is tempting to look ahead, but not just because the first of many goals has been accomplished. It’s because that is where achievement can be gained, and achievement seems so very possible now.
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