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Mauricio Pochettino will have to overcome a lot of recent history if he wants to succeed moving forward as the U.S. men's national team head coach.
Pochettino has, somewhat unexpectedly, agreed to continue in his current role on a new deal through the 2030 World Cup.
When the Argentine was brought on in 2024, it looked like he would stay on through the 2026 World Cup and then return to club management when his contract expired.
But whether it was a genuine affinity for the job, a lack of enticing opportunities elsewhere or, more likely, a combination of the two, Pochettino is back for a second cycle.
It is somewhat remarkable to see yet another USMNT coach back for a second World Cup cycle. By bringing in another second-cycle coach, U.S. Soccer is increasingly taking on the Tobias Fünke role in the "it might work for us" meme.
Prior to Pochettino, U.S. Soccer brought back four consecutive coaches for a second cycle. Three of them didn't even make it to a second World Cup while the fourth may have wished he hadn't.
A brief history:
More: Tim Howard, Landon Donovan talk USA World Cup, podcast success
Arena masterminded the best-ever USMNT performance in a World Cup, taking the team to within an inch of the semifinal in 2002. So it was understandable when U.S. Soccer opted to roll the dice with Arena yet again heading into 2006.
But Arena's message grew stale and the 2006 World Cup turned out to be a disaster. Heading into the tournament ranked fifth in the world, the USMNT got one point in the group phase and crashed out.
Bradley started as an interim after the 2006 World Cup but ended up having a hugely successful first cycle at the helm. Under the no-nonsense New Jerseyan, the U.S. won the 2007 Gold Cup, went on a memorable run to the 2009 Confederations Cup final (including a 2–0 win over Spain that ended La Roja's 35-game unbeaten streak), and had a solid 2010 World Cup that included a draw with England and a dramatic win over Algeria (featuring that Landon Donovan goal).
It was enough to convince U.S. Soccer that Bradley was the man to take the team through the 2014 World Cup. But a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final dissuaded the federation of that notion. Bradley was fired just a year after signing his contract extension.
One of the reasons Bradley was fired was that Klinsmann, whom U.S. Soccer had chased for years, was finally available and ready to accept the job. Under the polarizing German, the USMNT escaped the "Group of Death" at the 2014 World Cup before losing to Belgium in the round of 16.
Strangely, Klinsmann's fate had already been determined before that tournament. In an unusual move, U.S. Soccer gave Klinsmann a contract extension through the 2018 World Cup six months before the 2014 World Cup even began. That extension also included a promotion, as he was named technical director for U.S. Soccer.
But Klinsmann, along with the entire USMNT, never made it to the 2018 World Cup. Amid a disastrous qualifying effort, Klinsmann was sacked in 2016. Arena was brought in on a rescue mission, but instead went down with the ship on an infamous night in Couva, Trinidad.
Berhalter's return for a second cycle was interrupted by his contract expiring, a major scandal, a U.S. Soccer investigation and then a consulting firm that decided, after several months, that the best man for the job was the one already there.
But after all that, followed by an embarrassing performance on home soil at the 2024 Copa America, Berhalter's position became untenable. Which led to the unexpected Pochettino era.
And so we have arrived at Pochettino, the fifth consecutive second-cycle USMNT head coach.
Compared to his predecessors, Pochettino arrived the latest into his first cycle. The Argentine had just a two-year runway to the 2026 World Cup, while Bradley and Berhalter had full cycles and Klinsmann had three years.
Pochettino seems to think his relatively recent appointment could play in his favor when it comes to breaking the second-cycle curse.
"We have only spent 18 months [here] and many of the players we didn't see too much," Pochettino said on a call with reporters on Monday, August 3.
"For us, it's going to be a different approach, different message, different ideas. Everything is going to be different. And the players that know us, they need to be ready because we are going to be a little bit different."
Though Pochettino is signed through the 2030 World Cup, there is plenty of reason to wonder whether he actually makes it that far. Beyond the typical struggles for a USMNT coach in their second cycle, Pochettino hasn't been shy about his desire to return to the European club game at some point.
If the U.S. stumbles in the Concacaf Nations League, or Gold Cup, or the expected Copa America in 2028, will Pochettino stick around if a Premier League job is open?
Pochettino insisted on Monday that he's in it for the long haul.
"Every time that we sign a contract, (the intention) is to go to the last day of the contract," Pochettino said. "If now we sign a four-year contract, we need to think and to arrive there. And we signed the contract because we really believe that we are going to be four years there."
Will Pochettino and his staff make it to 2030? There is plenty of history that says no, but every curse has to be broken at some point.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Mauricio Pochettino break the USMNT's second-cycle coach curse?
Continue reading...
Pochettino has, somewhat unexpectedly, agreed to continue in his current role on a new deal through the 2030 World Cup.
When the Argentine was brought on in 2024, it looked like he would stay on through the 2026 World Cup and then return to club management when his contract expired.
But whether it was a genuine affinity for the job, a lack of enticing opportunities elsewhere or, more likely, a combination of the two, Pochettino is back for a second cycle.
It is somewhat remarkable to see yet another USMNT coach back for a second World Cup cycle. By bringing in another second-cycle coach, U.S. Soccer is increasingly taking on the Tobias Fünke role in the "it might work for us" meme.
Prior to Pochettino, U.S. Soccer brought back four consecutive coaches for a second cycle. Three of them didn't even make it to a second World Cup while the fourth may have wished he hadn't.
A brief history:
More: Tim Howard, Landon Donovan talk USA World Cup, podcast success
Bruce Arena
Arena masterminded the best-ever USMNT performance in a World Cup, taking the team to within an inch of the semifinal in 2002. So it was understandable when U.S. Soccer opted to roll the dice with Arena yet again heading into 2006.
But Arena's message grew stale and the 2006 World Cup turned out to be a disaster. Heading into the tournament ranked fifth in the world, the USMNT got one point in the group phase and crashed out.
Bob Bradley
Bradley started as an interim after the 2006 World Cup but ended up having a hugely successful first cycle at the helm. Under the no-nonsense New Jerseyan, the U.S. won the 2007 Gold Cup, went on a memorable run to the 2009 Confederations Cup final (including a 2–0 win over Spain that ended La Roja's 35-game unbeaten streak), and had a solid 2010 World Cup that included a draw with England and a dramatic win over Algeria (featuring that Landon Donovan goal).
It was enough to convince U.S. Soccer that Bradley was the man to take the team through the 2014 World Cup. But a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final dissuaded the federation of that notion. Bradley was fired just a year after signing his contract extension.
Jurgen Klinsmann
One of the reasons Bradley was fired was that Klinsmann, whom U.S. Soccer had chased for years, was finally available and ready to accept the job. Under the polarizing German, the USMNT escaped the "Group of Death" at the 2014 World Cup before losing to Belgium in the round of 16.
Strangely, Klinsmann's fate had already been determined before that tournament. In an unusual move, U.S. Soccer gave Klinsmann a contract extension through the 2018 World Cup six months before the 2014 World Cup even began. That extension also included a promotion, as he was named technical director for U.S. Soccer.
But Klinsmann, along with the entire USMNT, never made it to the 2018 World Cup. Amid a disastrous qualifying effort, Klinsmann was sacked in 2016. Arena was brought in on a rescue mission, but instead went down with the ship on an infamous night in Couva, Trinidad.
Gregg Berhalter
Berhalter's return for a second cycle was interrupted by his contract expiring, a major scandal, a U.S. Soccer investigation and then a consulting firm that decided, after several months, that the best man for the job was the one already there.
But after all that, followed by an embarrassing performance on home soil at the 2024 Copa America, Berhalter's position became untenable. Which led to the unexpected Pochettino era.
Mauricio Pochettino
And so we have arrived at Pochettino, the fifth consecutive second-cycle USMNT head coach.
Compared to his predecessors, Pochettino arrived the latest into his first cycle. The Argentine had just a two-year runway to the 2026 World Cup, while Bradley and Berhalter had full cycles and Klinsmann had three years.
Pochettino seems to think his relatively recent appointment could play in his favor when it comes to breaking the second-cycle curse.
"We have only spent 18 months [here] and many of the players we didn't see too much," Pochettino said on a call with reporters on Monday, August 3.
"For us, it's going to be a different approach, different message, different ideas. Everything is going to be different. And the players that know us, they need to be ready because we are going to be a little bit different."
Though Pochettino is signed through the 2030 World Cup, there is plenty of reason to wonder whether he actually makes it that far. Beyond the typical struggles for a USMNT coach in their second cycle, Pochettino hasn't been shy about his desire to return to the European club game at some point.
If the U.S. stumbles in the Concacaf Nations League, or Gold Cup, or the expected Copa America in 2028, will Pochettino stick around if a Premier League job is open?
Pochettino insisted on Monday that he's in it for the long haul.
"Every time that we sign a contract, (the intention) is to go to the last day of the contract," Pochettino said. "If now we sign a four-year contract, we need to think and to arrive there. And we signed the contract because we really believe that we are going to be four years there."
Will Pochettino and his staff make it to 2030? There is plenty of history that says no, but every curse has to be broken at some point.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Mauricio Pochettino break the USMNT's second-cycle coach curse?
Continue reading...
