Christian Pulisic is counting on new boss, Mauricio Pochettino, to bring significant changes to the USMNT, starting with the group's winning mentality.
Mauricio Pochettino was finally named the new head coach of the U.S. men's national team right before the Stars and Stripes kicked off their international friendly against New Zealand. The former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager is the man trusted with getting the USMNT out of its recent slump and into winning form ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The hire comes two months after Gregg Berhalter was relieved of his duties. The 51-year-old had a tumultuous tenure leading the USMNT that ultimately ended with a shocking group stage exit at Copa América 2024.
It is no secret that Berhalter failed to get the best out of the most talented USMNT squad in recent memory, and he left his post without many signature wins. In fact, his reign will more likely be remembered for its losses, including defeats to both Panama and Uruguay this summer.
The arrival of Pochettino, though, a man who has coached in three of Europe's top five leagues, promises a culture shift that already has the USMNT captain excited.
CP10 on new #USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/Roj9VQD5vs
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 11, 2024
"Hopefully [Pochettino brings] a culture that is willing to fight, that is willing to take risks, win," Pulisic said after a disappointing 1–1 draw with New Zealand. "There's a lot of things that need to change—the mentality and the culture of the group."
"I think we have the quality, but I know hopefully that's the first thing he's going to want to change," Pulisic finished.
The 25-year-old's statement comes after the USMNT failed to find a win in its last four matches. With most of the starting XI, including the captain himself, earning significant minutes at clubs throughout Europe, the USMNT should be comfortably finding positive results against inferior teams like New Zealand.
Now the pressure is firmly on Pochettino to not only get this United States squad back to winning ways, but to also build a culture that demands excellence from its star players.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Christian Pulisic Excited for USMNT 'Mentality Change' Under Mauricio Pochettino.
