- Gregg Berhalter was let go in his manager’s role for the US men’s national soccer team after failing to get out of the group stage at Copa América 2024.
- It was Berhalter’s second stint as USMNT manager, as he was first in the role from December 2018-December 2022, and then from August 2023-July 2024
- After trying to land former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, the USMNT hired former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino
The US men’s national team flopped this summer. After decent odds at soccer betting sites to progress through the 2024 Copa América tournament, which they hosted, the team failed to make it out of the group stage. That meant it was time for a change at the top.
Various outlets are reporting that the USMNT have hired Mauricio Pochettino to take over for Gregg Berhalter, who led the program over two stints from December 2018 to July 2024. The US now has one of the best managers in world football in Pochettino as they prepare to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
Despite Failing to Get Klopp, the USMNT Hire a Great Manager in “Poch”
Berhalter’s time with the USMNT had run its course. He managed the team from December 2018 to December 2022 after reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. Berhalter’s contract expired, and the program hired assistants Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan, but they would go back to Berhalter in June 2023. But a disappointing run at the Copa América doomed the former US international.
The USMNT tried to persuade Jürgen Klopp, who left Liverpool this summer after nine successful seasons. But the German stuck to his guns that he needed a break to recharge his batteries. The program then switched their priorities to Pochettino, who left Chelsea by mutual consent in May 2024.
It was a turbulent single season in charge of Chelsea for Pochettino, who butted heads with the upper management on the direction of the club. Despite that, Chelsea won their last five games of the English Premier League season to finish in sixth place.
“Poch”, who hails from Argentina, started out managing at Espanyol in Spain from January 2009 to November 2012, and then moved to Southampton from January 2013 to May 2014. He was then hired by Tottenham in May 2014, and he led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost to Klopp’s Liverpool.
After taking some time off, Pochettino returned to manage Paris Saint-Germain, where he won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. Then he moved to Chelsea, where Pochettino guided the team through a rough start, and they wound up qualifying for Europe.
In terms of style, Pochettino is similar to Klopp in that he wants his team to win the ball back quickly and high up the pitch when they lose it. However, while Klopp wants to get up the pitch as soon as possible, Pochettino wants his teams to be a little more patient in offensive build-up.
How Does This Affect the USMNT’s World Cup Odds?
The USMNT haven’t moved up the 2026 World Cup odds just yet, as the announcement isn’t official. They’re +3300 at BetUS, and +4000 at BetOnline, to win the World Cup, which is about where they should be.
Pochettino does have talent to work with, although the Americans still have further to go to compete with the biggest countries in world soccer. Captain Christian Pulisic had a great debut season at AC Milan and is their best player. They also have players like Timothy Weah (Juventus), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), and Antonee Robinson (Fulham) playing in Europe. The team revolves around Pulisic, and everyone else plays their roles.
But with Pochettino in charge, the USMNT has the best manager they’ve ever had. The future looks bright for the Americans as they head towards the 2026 World Cup.
