There was a time not too long ago when Mauricio Pochettino was the next best thing since sliced bread.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was regularly linked with top jobs whenever they became available in major European leagues.
His decision to accept the United States’ offer to lead them into the 2026 World Cup caught plenty of people by surprise. Things are not going well.
Disjointed US are a mess under Pochettino
The US are ranked 16th in the FIFA world rankings. Losing to a team 20 places below them in the standings was not meant to be part of the script under Pochettino.
However, their 1-0 defeat against Panama in their CONCACAF Nations League semi-final tie yesterday was a massive disappointment.
Pochettino’s side looked disjointed in the first half before improving slightly after the break. Overall, their performance wasn’t good enough.
With just under 15 months remaining until the start of the World Cup, Pochettino still has time to make his mark with the US national team.
Based on his team’s miserable performance on Thursday, that will undoubtedly be easier said than done.
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