Mauricio Pochettino had the United States on a roll at the World Cup.
asserted
States → have → Cup
The Americans plowed into the knockout stages with fun and furious soccer as rapturous crowds shook the stadiums with “Country Roads” sing-alongs in front of record television audiences.
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crowds → plow → audiences
And Pochettino, a former Argentina player who had coached in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, was in the middle of it all, encouraging and embracing the passion building behind the team in a big country with limited soccer success.
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who → coach → success
The connection between coach and country looked so bright that even when the U.S. exited in another round of 16 defeat, Pochettino signed a four-year extension to lead a group of rising and talented players through the 2030 World Cup.
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Pochettino → look → Cup
It may be time to start over.
uncertain
It → start → ?
Pochettino on Thursday was closing in on a deal to be the new manager at Manchester United in England’s Premier League.
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Pochettino → close → League
The news came two days before the U.S. national team was set to open Concacaf Nations League play Saturday against Haiti.
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team → come → Haiti
“I can’t thank him enough regardless of if he’s coach or not the coach,” U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said Thursday.
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Berhalter → thank → him
“He’s meant so much to me.
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He → mean → me
He’s helped me develop as a player and as a person.
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me → help → person
As a player that’s all I can ask for, to have that trust and belief.”
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I → ’ → trust
Argentine coach led an American resurgence
Pochettino had never coached a national team before taking over the U.S. program in 2024.
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Pochettino → lead → 2024
He was best known for his European club stints with Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
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He → know → Tottenham
A move to Manchester United would put him in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the biggest league in the world.
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move → put → world
United has won 20 English league titles, tied for most ever, but the last one was 2013 and the club is currently in 18th out of 20 clubs.
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club → win → clubs
If the season ended today, it would be relegated to a lower division.
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it → end → division
Pochettino would be asked to rescue the team from such humiliation.
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Pochettino → ask → humiliation
American players credited him with instilling a tougher, more resilient mindset.
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players → credit → mindset
Playing on home soil, the U.S. won consecutive games at the World Cup for the first time since 1930, and advanced from the group stage with a game to spare.
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U.S. → play → game
The three victories at a single World Cup also set a new mark.
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victories → set → mark
After a 2-0 win over Australia, Pochettino soaked in the singing and celebrations.
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Pochettino → soak → singing
“Today, even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional,” Pochettino said.
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Pochettino → ’m → game
Berhalter said Pochettino tapped into that with the players.
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Pochettino → say → players
“He made us even more proud to be American and I think that speaks volumes of who he is as a person and as a coach,” Berhalter said.
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Berhalter → make → coach
The run ended with a resounding 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.
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run → end → 16
But the good vibes between coach and country were still flowing when Pochettino signed his extension in August and Pochettino reflected on the “magic” of the tournament.
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Pochettino → flow → tournament
And he also left himself an out.
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he → leave → out
You never know what can happen in soccer,” Pochettino said.
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Pochettino → know → soccer
“Today people really love you.
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people → love → you
He has been long admired by Manchester United, and a break clause in his U.S. contract opened the door for United to make its move as the club struggled this season under Carrick.
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club → admire → Carrick
Coaching search begins with eyes on Guardiola
The 2030 World Cup will be played in Morocco, Spain and Portugal, and U.S. soccer officials will likely move quickly to find a new coach to start the buildup.
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officials → begin → buildup
They reportedly have their eyes on one of the biggest names in the sport: Pep Guardiola of Spain.
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They → have → Spain
Guardiola has won big everywhere he’s coached in soccer’s best professional leagues: three La Liga championships with Barcelona in Spain, three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in Germany, and six Premier League championships with Manchester City in England.
But the 55-year-old has never coached a national team, let alone a U.S. squad
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old → win → team
even Pochettino said before the World Cup did not have any players that rank among the top 100 in the world
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that → say → world
That’s vastly different from pro teams that spend lavish sums for top players.
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that → ’ → players
An investigative report released in September accused Manchester City of circumventing fair play and financial rules to build the rosters of Guardiola’s most dominant teams there.
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report → release → teams
Or U.S. soccer officials could lean into Major League Soccer for the next coach.
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officials → lean → coach
Bruce Arena led the U.S. to the quarterfinals in 2002.
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Arena → lead → 2002
Bob Bradley (2010) and Gregg Berhalter (2022) also took the Americans to the knockout stages.
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Bradley → take → stages
The next coach will inherit a roster that was among the youngest squads at the 2026 World Cup with an average age of 26.
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that → inherit → 26
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
