USMNT’s draw shows why Pochettino needs to hit the reset button

CINCINNATI — The Mauricio Pochettino era can’t begin soon enough.

The United States men’s national team closed out the September international window with a disappointing 1-1 draw with New Zealand on Tuesday. It was a match that the U.S. largely controlled, and it deservedly took the lead in the 69th minute thanks to an 11-pass sequence that was ably finished off by substitute Christian Pulisic.

And then, as has often been the case during this cruel summer for the USMNT, it couldn’t close the deal, conceding in bizarre fashion. A long ball in the 89th minute wasn’t dealt with by Caleb Wiley, and Mark McKenzie’s attempted clearance caromed off New Zealand forward Ben Waine and looped over a stranded Matt Turner and into the U.S. net.

The result, against a team that the U.S. should have beaten easily, in front of a two-thirds-full TQL Stadium proved to be an apt ending to a brutal three-month stretch. Including a pair of Copa America warmup matches, the USMNT prevailed just once during that time, a 2-0 win over an overmatched Bolivia side. Overall the U.S. went 1-4-2. It’s the end of a chapter that the players won’t look back on with any fondness.

“We didn’t have that killer instinct in the final third,” said Turner. “Something was missing, something was lacking. We couldn’t really put the game to bed in the moments where we had it. And then there’s just a freak goal. And that sort of sums up sort of where the program is right now.”

All the more reason to look forward. Earlier in the evening, it was announced that Pochettino had finally — after a drawn-out saga over the last month — been tabbed to be the next U.S. manager. That, on its own, was reason for raucous celebration. The players were informed last Sunday that Pochettino was likely to come on board. They were informed earlier on Tuesday that it was done. At last, the USMNT will have the kind of high-profile manager that fans have craved. For perhaps the first time this World Cup cycle, there is a reason to look ahead with optimism. The players seem ready to embrace change.

“We’ve got to take a big step up,” said Pulisic. “I think we have the quality and now it’s time to compete and try to win. So that’s the next step.”

It meant that the match that followed had a last-day-of-school feel about it, especially with a new headmaster in Pochettino ready to take over. The past can’t be undone. All of the players look like they could benefit from a clean slate.

Granted, this was by no means the U.S. team’s top lineup. The likes of Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams were left off the roster for a variety of fitness and health-related reasons. Pulisic started the game on the bench, though he came on as a second-half substitute.

Yet the auditioning for jobs has begun. You can bet that somewhere, Pochettino was watching, probably from a hotel in New York where he’ll officially be unveiled on Friday. There didn’t seem to be too many performances that caught the eye. Every sharp move was undone by a poor one, or at least a head-scratching decision.

The U.S. certainly showed more fight than it did in succumbing to Canada 2-1 three days ago, a result that marked the first time in 67 years that the U.S. had fallen to their northern neighbors on home soil. Aside from an occasional hiccup — like when Yunus Musah gifted Matthew Garbett a clear opening in the second minute — the USMNT had most of the ball. Ricardo Pepi scored an apparent goal in the 20th minute, but it was waved off for a foul during the buildup.

That said, Aidan Morris probably showed more than most, playing a key part in the sequence that led to Pulisic’s goal. And given Tyler Adams continuing injury woes, Morris’ development will be a talking point going forward. But even he wasn’t immune from mistakes, including an ill-advised challenge in the 56th minute that sparked a New Zealand counter.

Turner made the most of his start as well, making sharp saves when called upon. Given his struggles for playing time at club level, even in the wake of his loan move to Crystal Palace, he’ll take the positive wherever he can find them.

But the most positive aspect of the night was that now that Pochettino’s hiring is official, everyone can look forward, even if there’s a hint of the unknown about his arrival and what he’ll bring. The level of speculation about the manager’s status will shrink to zero. Pochettino is the man for the foreseeable future. The jockeying for minutes can begin, especially given that Pochettino’s reputation is one where no one is guaranteed anything.

When players were asked what Pochettino could go about changing right away, culture was mentioned more than once, even though providing a definition is difficult. When asked to elaborate on what “culture” meant, Pulisic said, “I mean, just that winning mentality. It’s just something that is missing. I can’t exactly explain it to you.”

Defender Marlon Fossey, who made his USMNT debut, honed in a bit further.

“How people show up to training every day, standards [on] the soccer pitch,” he said. “[Pochettino] would’ve been around some of the best players in the world, so I think he’ll be able to pass that on to us and hopefully bring us to another level.”

Turner recalled how last season he and Nottingham Forest went up against Pochettino’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and walked away 1-0 winners. But he also recalled the arc of that season for both Chelsea and Pochettino.

“He got a lot out of that Chelsea team last year. The guys played well,” said Turner about Pochettino. “They played free flowing, they had a bit of the ball, but more often than not, they were just tactically sound all over the pitch. They were in positions to succeed. And I think that was probably their biggest strength, especially.

“It took time. It wasn’t just like he snapped his fingers when he got there and everything was better. Chelsea struggled in the beginning of the season, but by the end of the season they were a team you definitely didn’t want play.”

There was a time when that was the ethos of the USMNT. Not anymore. If Pochettino can instill that ethic into the side that will be a positive first step. And help leave the memories from the summer of 2024 behind.