The new U.S. coach began his tenure with a 2-0 win, and he made a few notable changes along the way
AUSTIN, Texas – As his team ran off celebrating in the opposite corner, Mauricio Pochettino turned towards the U.S. men's national team bench clapping his hands. He and his players were understandably fired up.
The Pochettino era had finally begun – and it came with a win.
The first goal of the era came from Yunus Musah, which gave Pochettino and the USMNT a reason to both celebrate and exhale. Ricardo Pepi, meanwhile, put the exclamation point on the match, scoring in the dying moments of what ended up as a 2-0 win over Panama in Pochettino's first game with the USMNT.
“It’s always important to win,” Pochettino told TNT after recording his first victory with the U.S. after officially being named coach last month. “It was a really tough game for us. Yes, little by little building something. The object is 2026 but I think happy because (we were) solid in the performance, a very professional performance. And then competing in a very good way. Now, that’s only the first step.”
Musah's goal was, in many ways, a coach's dream sequence: high-pressing, quick passing, a pass across the box and, ultimately, a tap-in for a player in position to change the game. It was a goal that the USMNT made look easy, but one that felt so hard to come by for most of the last few months.
It was also a goal made in Milan, as Christian Pulisic teed up his club teammate to continue his recent run of dominance on both sides of the pond. And Musah gave credit to his new coach, in part, for how it all unfolded.
"I can see he knows a lot about my background," he said of Pochettino. "He knows about my academy days, playing at Valencia – everything. That's why today I played wide because he knows I used to play wide as well. So it's nice that a coach knows about me, has a lot of faith in me."
Pepi's finish in stoppage time, meanwhile, was valuable insurance. Fed by fellow substitute Haji Wright, Pepi made no mistake, furthering a supersub reputation he continues to build for club and country.
On the USMNT side, Saturday was a very different look from the one over the past few months. That was to be expected. A new coach has come in with new ideas, and that was clear from the start. The USMNT played a three-at-the-back for large stretches, keeping Musah out wide while allowing Antonee Robinson to bomb forward as the other wingback.
It didn't always work, to be fair, as players definitely showed some growing pains in this new system. Despite those rough patches, though, the USMNT emerged with a win and, perhaps just as importantly, a clean sheet.
The victory snapped a four-game winless streak on home soil for the USMNT, dating back to the Copa America. It also avenged a 2-1 loss to Panama in the group stage of the Copa, a disappointing defeat that ultimately put the wheels in place for a Copa crash, the firing of then-coach Gregg Berhalter and the eventual hiring of Pochettino.
And now the Pochettino era is underway. The start wasn't perfect, but it was progress. Onto the next one, in Mexico Tuesday night. And Pochettino is already thinking about that rivalry match.
"To try to compete in our best way, improving in the whole evolution of the ideas and the concepts that we believe will be important to compete at this level," he said of the objective against Mexico. "Now we need to recover the players that maybe didn’t play today – maybe have the opportunity to play. It’s a great opportunity also to see the players perform, competing."
GOAL rates the USMNT's players against Panama from Q2 Stadium.
ImagnGoalkeeper & Defense
Matt Turner (8/10):
Had a few massive saves, with two coming on an incredible sequence midway through the second half. Showed no signs of rust despite his lack of minutes.
Antonee Robinson (7/10):
Bombed forward in his left-wingback role, particularly early on. Had a few dangerous crosses that could have resulted in goals on another day.
Tim Ream (6/10):
Was handed the captain's armband and did exactly what he needed to do. Not always pretty, but almost always steady.
Mark McKenzie (7/10):
Came just an inch sort of a goal in the 12th minute and then had another headed chance go just high in the 64th. He'd have liked a goal but his performance on the defensive end was good, too.
Joe Scally (7/10):
Tucked in as more of a third centerback for large stretches, as Pochettino looked to utilize Scally's defensive ability. It generally worked, too, as the Borussia Monchengladbach defender did a solid job.
AdvertisementIMGANMidfield
Aidan Morris (8/10):
Absolute bulldog in midfield as he did all the dirty work this game required. The USMNT finally has a true backup for Tyler Adams and, on this evidence, they might just have a competitor.
Yunus Musah (8/10):
What a moment for your first USMNT goal. Musah kicked off the Pochettino era with the game's opener, darting onto a pass from Pulisic. Playing in a right-wingback role in possession, Musah was asked to play a different sort of game, and the goal highlighted a good performance from the Milan man.
Gianluca Busio (7/10):
Near-perfect when it comes to passing the ball. Not flashy, but clean, which can be very helpful sometimes, right?
ImagnAttack
Christian Pulisic (8/10):
Didn't get a goal of his own despite a few decent looks at goal that were blocked away. Fantastic assist, though, for a player who continues to light up opponents for club and country.
Josh Sargent (6/10):
Missed an absolute sitter in the 42nd, which he'll want back. Did do a lot of quiet connecting as his ability to drift back and link things together helped the USMNT.
Brenden Aaronson (6/10):
Got in alone a few minutes before halftime, but saw his shot saved. As usual, a lot of energy and pressing, which is something the new coach will surely appreciate.
GettySubs & Manager
Kristoffer Lund (6/10):
Almost got bullied defensively on one sequence, but recovered well. Did fine on the ball.
Tanner Tessmann (6/10):
Passing was fine but didn't really make a massive impact on either side of the field.
Haji Wright (7/10):
Misplaced a pass that could have opened Panama up just minutes after coming on, but never put his head down. Ended up setting up Pepi for the late insurance goal as he ultimately made his impact.
Ricardo Pepi (8/10):
Hardly got a touch of the ball other than his goal. That's what he does though. Even with his struggles to get minutes at PSV, Pepi is an absolutely lethal finisher.
Malik Tillman (6/10):
Replaced Aaronson late and was noticeable, but not quite spectacular.
Alejandro Zendejas (N/A):
Chucked on for the game's final minutes as the USMNT largely defended their lead.
Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):
It wasn't all perfect, but it was a step forward. Made some fun tactical changes that asked new things of his players. They generally responded, offering a glimpse into what things will be like going forward.