The Mauricio Pochettino era will officially begin on the pitch when the U.S. men's national team takes on Panama on Oct. 12 at Q2 Stadium.
USMNT fans will be eager to see what the ex-Chelsea boss will do in his first pair of matches during the October international break. Pochettino has already confirmed his first squad with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun headlining the roster and promised an exciting style of play.
Key players such as Gio Reyna and Chris Richards were left out of the squad due to injury while Pochettino decided to not call-up Gabriel 'Gaga' Slonina as the Chelsea loanee continues his development at Barnsley in England's League One.
No matter how the USMNT set up, fans will expect to see an improved performance in the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here's how Pochettino can quickly win over the fans and get their buy-in.
Implementing A Better Pressing System
The USMNT has plenty of young players and players in their prime capable of executing an effective press to generate more chances on goal. Under former manager Gregg Berhalter, the team showed flashes of pressing opponents but it never worked well on a consistent basis.
Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur sides were known for their aggressive pressing that helped them create turnovers upon turnovers in the opposing team's half to generate quality scoring opportunities. Not only will Pochettino look to do this from the day one, but he'll also look to drill into his players' heads for them to come out aggressively and on the front foot no matter who they're up against.
Giving Opportunities to Upcoming & Improving Players
Pochettino is also known for developing young players and giving them opportunities during his tenures at Tottenham, Southampton and RCD Espanyol. The 52-year-old Argentinian has worked closely with players such as Harry Kane, Luke Shaw, Son Heung-min, Philippe Coutinho, Christian Eriksen, Kyle Walker and Cole Palmer and helped all of them in their development.
In the USMNT setup, there are a few players he could look to give playing time to keep current stars on their toes... or to replace them entirely. Matt Turner has yet to play a single minute on loan at Crystal Palace and was inconsistent throughout Copa América in goal. Gabriel 'Gaga' Slonina could see more first-team minutes, but it'll have to be in future international breaks as the 20-year-old wasn't included in Pochettino's first squad.
Real Betis's Johnny Cardoso and and PSV Eindhoven's Malik Tillman are two more players who could see their playing time increase under Pochettino. With Tyler Adams unable to stay fit for long periods, Cardoso could step into the midfield alongside McKennie and Yunus Musah.
Tillman hasn't had too many chances to show what he can do for the Stars and Stripes as he and Reyna tend to take up similar positions. However, as Reyna encounters fitness issues like Adams, Tillman could be handed more playing time in the final third to try to impress the new boss.
Implementing a Primary and Secondary System
Under Pochettino, the USMNT will utilize both a 4-3-3 formation and a 4-2-3-1 setup to provide more balance across the pitch. This could see a defensive midfielder pairing of either Musah and McKennie, Musah and Cardoso, Cardoso and McKennie with more options once Adams returns from injury.
Up front, Pulisic playing out on the left-wing and Balogun leading the line are two shoe-ins. However, Tillman could provide versatility as an attacking midfielder and competition for Reyna or as a right-winger while Tim Weah is still an option on the right-wing, too.
The starting backline probably won't change as much compared to what Berhalter typically went for, with Joe Scally/Sergiño Dest, Richards, potentially Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson.
Moving to a 4-2-3-1 is a sure way for Pochettino to help get the best out of a talented group of players like he's done for the most part of his managerial career.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Ways Mauricio Pochettino Can Quickly Win Over USMNT Fans.
