Getty Image / John Dorton
The “Golden Generation” of USA Men’s soccer has been a disappointment so far, frankly. The USMNT went fishing for a big-time coach to try to help Christian Pulisic and company reach their potential, and hired former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino to do just that.
Pochettino is getting set to coach his first game with the USMNT this Saturday against Panama in Austin. Ahead of the game, he had some really glowing comments about Christian Pulisic.
Pochettino has managed some of the great attackers of this generation. Harry Kane became one of the best strikers in the world during his tenure at Tottenham from 2014-2019. At PSG, he helped nurture Kylian Mbappe’s immense talent into a well-rounded attacking presence. He’s now probably the most feared player in the world. Players like Son and Neymar also played under Pochettino. He’s truly been around the best of the best.
Pulisic has been the face of the USMNT since he made his national team debut in 2016. The former Dortmund and Chelsea attacker has had an up-and-down club career that hasn’t always seen him get consistent playing time. But, the 26-year-old seems to be coming into his own with AC Milan, with 17 goals in 43 matches dating back to last year.
He has to be a star for the USMNT if they are going to make a deep run in next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup that is being primarly hosted in the USA. He has 31 goals in 73 matches for the USMNT, including the goal that sent Stars and Stripes through to the knockout round against Iran in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But, Christian Pulisic, who is the team’s captain, needs to be a true talisman in terms of productivity.
Thankfully, Mauricio Pochettino thinks that he has that level of play in him.
#USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino on Christian Pulisic: “I think he’s a fantastic player, one of the best offensive players in the world.”
— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) October 11, 2024
Now, Christian Pulisic just needs to consistently prove it.