Even before the 2026 World Cup, the US Soccer Federation projected an air of confidence in its ability to, someday, replace Mauricio Pochettino.
asserted
Federation → project → Pochettino
“We have a process of, on a regular basis, always reviewing sort of succession planning for all of our key roles at US Soccer,” JT Batson, the federation CEO, told ESPN in April.
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Batson → have → April
“We’re ready when anything happens, whether it’s CFO, whether it’s a head coach or anything in between.
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it → ’re → between
Now, it’s time to put those words to the test.
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it → ’ → test
Pochettino’s exit is now seemingly a formality, with Manchester United having agreed a deal with him to replace Michael Carrick, who was fired on Thursday.
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who → agree → Thursday
Upon hiring Pochettino, US Soccer was lauded for garnering the interest of such a respected manager.
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Soccer → hire → manager
Few coaches in the men’s game are discussed in similar esteem: such status requires a record of success, ahistory of having built a stable culture and some unquantifiable aura.
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status → discuss → culture
Throughout his two years with the US, program mainstays spoke glowingly about how Pochettino had changed the culture around the team following Gregg Berhalter’s six years in the role.
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Pochettino → speak → role
In total, Pochettino’s half-cycle term has warped expectations of the ideal profile for a USMNT coach.
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term → warp → coach
It’s an expensive evolution, but one that can’t be discounted as the US enter the 2030 World Cup cycle.
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US → ’ → cycle
Who, exactly, makes sense to sustain the momentum he’s built?
Pep Guardiola
The first name on many fans’ lips.
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he → make → lips
He’s long been at the top of hypothetical wishlists, having spent a year’s sojourn in New York City between leaving Bayern Munich and beginning his decade with Manchester City.
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He → spend → City
There have been rumors for years that he may be interested in leading the US at a home World Cup if his time with City ended beforehand.
uncertain
time → lead → City
That timeline didn’t quite come to pass, but he’s unattached now and is the only unemployed manager who would universally be seen as an upgrade over Pochettino.
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who → come → Pochettino
Then again, the reasons that made Pochettino lasting a full four years in this job seem outlandish are even more relevant to Guardiola, who turned down the Italy job this summer.
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who → make → job
While Concacaf has improved over the past decade, it’s still among the world’s least esteemed confederations and lacks the hallowed continental championships of Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.
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it → improve → Europe
Would three and a half years of friendlies, an easier World Cup qualifying path than ever, and routine matchups with Mexico and Canada be enough to whet his competitive appetite until 2030?
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years → whet → 2030
Bear in mind, Guardiola – and another available celebrity manager, Antonio Conte – only reach this status by being workaholics.
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Guardiola → bear → status
These are obsessives who kneel at the altar of the almighty grind.
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who → kneel → grind
With respect to the Gold Cup and the Nations League, this just may not be the standard of project that could appease such ambition.
uncertain
that → appease → ambition
Concacaf’s lesser global status could also repel the next tier of proven international managers, which could include Rudi Garcia, Sebastián Beccacece and Diego Alonso.
uncertain
which → repel → Garcia
Historically, the USMNT have avoided questions of devotion by leaning into the domestic coaching pool.
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USMNT → avoid → pool
When Bruce Arena first took the role in 1998, he had just started MLS’s first dynasty.
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he → take → dynasty
By the time Bob Bradley took over in 2006, he was also among the league’s winningest coaches.
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he → take → coaches
When Gregg Berhalter was hired after the failure to qualify for Russia 2018, he was a universally rated option whose race was run in Columbus.
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race → hire → Columbus
The most qualified American for the job, by nearly every criteria, has almost certainly disqualified himself from contention.
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American → qualify → contention
Rare is the international window where Canada head coach Jesse Marsch isn’t asked for his thoughts on the USMNT, or US politics, or what beating Canada’s southern rivals means to him on a personal level.
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beating → ask → level
Even scarcer is the instance where his answer doesn’t spur a myriad of headlines.
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answer → spur → headlines
“Let me make it really clear: I never will coach the US national team.
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I → let → team
Ever,” Jesse Marsch, Canada head coach, told Time magazine in July.
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Marsch → tell → July
“And that’s no problem.
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that → ’ → ?
There was the possibility of me at one point, but I’m done with it.
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I → be → it
I don’t even care any more.”
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I → care → ?
If Marsch has a rival for “best active American men’s coach”, it’s Pellegrino Matarazzo.
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it → have → coach
The New Jersey native graduated from Columbia University and promptly began a playing career in Germany, where he also launched his coaching career.
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he → graduate → career
After successful stops at Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, Matarazzo is at the helm of Real Sociedad, where he became the first US manager to win a trophy in Europe’s big five leagues by lifting the Copa Del Rey last spring.
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he → become → Rey
If the US came calling, Sociedad would probably work to keep him.
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Sociedad → come → him
In between Berhalter’s first and second terms, BJ Callaghan led the US to win the Gold Cup with eye-catching play and impressive control over games.
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Callaghan → lead → games
He took his first club head coaching job in 2024, and has since turned Nashville SC into a record-setting team favored to win a rare domestic double this postseason.
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He → take → double
Nashville signed Callaghan to a fresh extension in February, locking him into terms through the 2028-29 MLS season.
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Nashville → sign → season
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
