For the first time since the U.S. Soccer National Training Center opened in suburban Atlanta, U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino actually had time to marvel at the scale of the new building, despite working there for eight days in late spring.
“It was great to be there. [again],” he said Friday, “the pressure is greater than [it] Everything is prepared for the World Cup. “
The U.S. national team is officially back in action after the World Cup at home, and their anticlimactic round-of-16 exit was somehow just preparation for what’s next for the national team. Pochettino will use the first international break of the new cycle to introduce young players to a group of players who meet senior national team requirements and possess the individual and collective potential that could make them the most exciting generation of talent the U.S. men’s program has ever seen. Pochettino has been unreserved in terms of generational changes, calling up 13 players who have not represented the national team and mixing them with the 12 players from this year’s World Cup team, while also absorbing several other players to form a new-look national team.
A number of new faces are expected to feature in Saturday’s friendly against Peru, the first of four international fixtures.
“We’re going to have a bit of a mix and maybe play tomorrow with some new players or young players and senior players,” Pochettino said. “The mix is important. Hopefully it works and the rest of the games too, that’s what we think. That’s the plan and of course when we look at, judge the players, maybe some players need more time. Maybe not the first game or the second game, maybe the third game. Maybe some players train with us and that’s enough. They don’t need to go and play.”
Achieving balance appears to be Pochettino’s priority, at least in the short term. This is far from the first changing of the guard the U.S. national team has experienced, with the last one occurring only about eight years ago when a different generation of players failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Veterans working alongside today’s rising talent are leaders in their own generational shift following the 2018 debacle, but as longtime midfielder Tyler Adams pointed out, it’s not quite the same.
“I think there’s less pressure on these young kids to come in and perform right away and have more time to really develop them, whereas when I came in and was obviously already ineligible for the World Cup, it was like, ‘You basically need to play now and you need to perform now so that we can qualify for the next World Cup,'” Adams said Wednesday. “I look at this generation of players now and I think they’re in a good position to go through the process properly and really rely on guidance and go through and gain their own experience and also have opportunities like the Olympics, and other competitions, to really develop them for the next World Cup.”
Pochettino expressed the same sentiment.
“I think it’s important to provide opportunities if they’re ready,” the coach said. “We’re not saying they need to perform. That’s one of the things we talk about [about] Be with them. They need to feel ready to play [at] The next level…the important thing is they need to feel like they’re ready, we need to feel like they’re ready, and then to execute or not execute – that’s not the issue. We really believe they have talent and sometimes, you need a little more time or experience, but right now, so far, I think we’re in a really good spot. “
How to watch USMNT vs. Peru odds
date: Saturday 26th September | time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Place: Inter.co Stadium – Orlando, Florida
television: TNT | live streaming: HBO Max
Odds: US Navy -210; Draw +330; Peru +550
USMNT’s New Balancing Act
Of course, striking the right balance requires everyone to make a strong first impression, including a group of up-and-comers who will soon become national team regulars. The top new signing is 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan, who has scored 7 goals and assisted 5 times for the Philadelphia Union this season.
“He’s very quiet,” said defender Alex Freeman, now a veteran despite making his national team debut last year. “I think he’s probably a little bit nervous, as I imagined he would be. He’s a young guy, the youngest player on the roster, only 16, but I can see that when he comes to training he’s very motivated. He wants to get better and I feel like as a 16-year-old Kid, you want to be able to make an impression, and I guess some of the things I would tell him is, come make an impression, but do it the right way. Maybe stay and do a few extra things because you know at 16, you’ve got a lot left in you. [room] growth etc. [time] Do this. His ceiling will be on the roof. Knowing he’s 16 years old in MLS, what can you do with the national team now? Can he come in and make an impact? I think Cavan is a versatile player. He can play any position in the offense and I think the question now is how do you go out there and be able to be disciplined and be able to do those extra things that are going to show up on the field and show up? “
However, Pochettino acknowledges that the responsibility for achieving this balance goes both ways.
“I think if kids come to an environment where they feel respect, discipline, the normal discipline of a football team, I think it’s very natural for them,” he said. “That’s our plan. It’s about creating an environment that feels natural to them. We want them to act in a natural way because they’re smart, they’re smart, they sense and feel the way they need to act when they arrive.”
Pochettino and his staff have spoken to each newcomer individually in hopes of making them feel comfortable, starting with understanding the player’s humanity before moving on to professional matters.
“This is about [getting] Get to know them, what they like, what they don’t like, what they are like, how they live, what their family is like [is]all things that I think provide us with good information [them better] He said: “After the first contact I think we will start talking about the game, about some of the things you need to listen to because even though they are young they are smart, they are very smart and of course when they find a certain position on the pitch it is good to hear how they feel about the game, [on the field]how they feel, whether they feel comfortable. I’d like to have a more relaxed conversation about gaming and translation later[ing] What we expect from them. I think it’s also really important, they need to know what we expect of them. “
The balancing act is off to a good start, at least from a resonance standpoint.
“After a few days, the mix between senior players and youngsters is now very organic and natural,” he said. “This is a group of players where you don’t feel like anyone is being called up for the first time or someone is being called up for the first time.[s] 100 bottle caps. I think this is an important thing. Of course, the younger the [players] It shows great respect for the senior players. They are humble enough to listen and the senior players too, the way they treat the younger kids is really good because they also show respect and when the respect is mutual and reciprocal, that’s the best way to build a good relationship. “
Pochettino will also need to find a balance between providing meaningful experience and managing time in the coming weeks, which include friendlies against Chile, Mexico and Canada, as he has a packed schedule. The coach has criticized the decision to schedule four friendlies in 11 days, arguing it limits the development process.
“A lot of other countries only play three games in this window,” he said. “I think it’s a big risk because starting tomorrow there won’t be any time off and there’s a lot of travel. We’re not involved in the plan. We know it’s a big risk with a lot of players [are coming] Many MLS players are in crucial moments in MLS starting from the European preseason or the beginning of the season. It’s not the best way for us to play four games. I would have preferred more space between games to help the players grow the way we want to in the future. “
However, Pochettino is full of optimism about the next two weeks and indeed the next four years. Patience may be the key in autumn friendlies, but Saturday’s game against Peru is certainly the start of the road to the 2030 World Cup. The excitement of a new chapter in sports is undeniable in any situation, but especially so for the U.S. National Team.
“They have talent and they are showing their real talent because they have amazing ability and quality and the energy is amazing,” Pochettino said. “The energy is very contagious. Today we are working with [a] There are very few of them. Of course, during the week we talked to everyone [of them] but like after [you] Talk to them and you will feel younger. No, it’s true. It’s true. It’s contagious. “