Next manager after Poch

I love the idea of having guys have a lot of matches together, but for the most part we don’t have much of a clue who will be on the 2030 team anyway. I’m sure there’s a thread for that, but it’s Balo, Freeman, Tillman, and Wes?

Adams and Puli have injury histories. More likely to be there in 2030 if we don’t put unnecessary NL/GC miles on them. Jedi? Is Dest still there? I hope so. I’m a big fan and I think he’s getting a bad rap.

but I don’t think those guys will play better together in 2030 because they played nations league in 2027

 

Reportedly, Poch had planned to use the Olympic team to matriculate the youngsters. He had also reportedly been an advocate for the hiring of Cherundolo.

 

I think both games were hit by a combination of mental mistakes by our players and missed opportunities on the other end.

I've read most of the "outcoached" stuff and it largely comes down to "the US played it's game and the opponent adjusted to that" but I stop there -- the reality is that the opponent won that battle because of execution, not some idiocy in either of our gameplans.

In terms of Berhalter, yes, fatigue may have contributed to the mistakes. However, a) I am skeptical that Adams' was fatigue give how early in the game it was b) how often this group seems to make these mistakes in big games and most importantly ... c) What the hell else was he supposed to do?

We had to win the Iran game. We went into the England game with only one point. McKennie was 60 minutes fit, Reyna was lying about his fitness, so we're talking about playing Kellyn Acosta or Cristian Roldan in a must win game? What? You send out your best.

Plenty of teams work players in far worse conditions for more minutes -- go look at Argentina -- and the players don't collapse like ours seem to.

I actually have more criticisms for Pochettino. For one, our inability to defend in a low block has been occurring for years -- actually before Poch but after the 2022 World Cup. He couldn't fix it -- as soon as we had to defend in our own box we fell apart. How much of that is him? I don't know, but we knew this was a problem and it continued.

I give him more grace on the team's mentality. This kind of Jekyll and Hyde play has been going on since last decade. He couldn't solve it but it's not on him.

I wonder how long this group of players can play where they shit the bed every couple of games in one way or another before people stop thinking it's the coach?

 

Its hard to predict, but we won't stand pat.

We had one of the youngest rosters in 2022. Despite that, 13 of the 26 players were new in 2026.
Cuz there were young/youngish players in 2022 that didn't make it four years later. Yunus Musah being the poster child. Josh Sargent, Luca de la Torre, etc. would have been age appropriate for 2026 and didn't make it. Jesus Ferreira was 21 in 2022.

Even if Poch continues, there will be significant turnover. Just the nature of these things.

 

Bruce Arena of all people just directly said we need better leadership, he’s tried to get technical discussions going and there has been no interest at US soccer and the business suits need to be kept out of the meetings, according to El Bruce.

Bruce Arene the supposed mls and fed yes man lol, Bob and Gregg of course agreed. Stop pretending Helfrich is a soccer professional or that the lack of soccer specific roles filled by soccer specific people is defensible, it’s not.

 

Is this starting to look like a four-year plan? Poch takes over for two years (I would be a little surprised if he wanted to stay on for the full cycle), then there's a handoff in the summer of 28 to Cherundolo?

Balboa talks about the advantage of having Cherundolo waiting in the wings ready to step in if Pochettino stays, here:
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/usmnt-legend-urges-patience-mauricio-233001264.html

Yahoo Sports articles often provide more smoke than light, but....

Balboa:

"So I would probably have done what we've asked a long time ago, and they finally did it. I would have hired Steve Cherundolo to do what he's doing now. So if Pochettino does leave, you have Steve Cherundolo to come in."

Not sure of the context of that quote, but it does imply a serious pro-Cherundolo contingent lurking about.

 

I like this plan.

Poch continues to lead the USMNT, with Cherundolo serving as his assistant and also leading the youth team. Whcn Poch leaves, Cherundolo would step right in.

 

I would have loved to see us give Belgium a decent game....but 17th is about where we are in the world rankings. Beating Belgium (which beat us like a drum) wouldn't have started a new era in US soccer imho, although it would have certainly increased one-time tv ratings and interest in the US.

We'd still be in the large group of third-tier countries

• Tier 1: France, Spain, England, and possibly Argentina without Messi;
• Tier 2: Belgium-Brazil-Germany?-Netherlands-Portugal-Morocco;
• Tier 3: Mexico, Croatia, Columbia, etc.

 

Sure but we’ve had those technical people until recently with Stewart and Crocker and they were very focused on trying to solve the hard problems we have development wise.

Whatever one thinks of Helfrich (and I don’t have a strong opinion) he’s barely been at USSF for very long.

 

All the former players back each other. It's just a different form of cronyism but people seem okay with it.

 

Link? I'd love to see what he said.

 

Tied the Swiss in 1994 as well.

 

No, we aren't.

There are 55 nations in UEFA; only 13-16 made the World Cup in most of that era; fewer in 1994.

 

Poch has his IG story this morning showing him in his Boss World Cup top button only outfit with the caption “Believe. Commit. Compete.”

He’s coming back guys.

 

We could have won against Wales at the last World Cup if it wasn’t for that penalty.

 

Sorry, that's all you've got to pick from.

 

But how would you do this when we have players playing club in all different kinds of styles and countries? The Dutch, German, Italian, Brazilian etc "styles" were created when all of their players were playing for clubs in their country. Their foundations were laid a long time ago so it's been easier to maintain as their players move to play in foreign countries. Hell, "total football", "joga bonito", Italy's "catenaccio" (door bolt) systems are part of their culture and identity and bigger than just soccer. You can't just instill this by the USSF.
We're a nation of soccer immigrants who brought their own style and culture with them. I think "Style" comes from the bottom up, not the top down.

 

I'm fine with Poch coming back, if that's what happens. I mean, I thought he got totally outcoached against Belgium. And, I think we need a recruiter. But, as I think about it, there is a think that appeals to me about his not f*cking around personality. I don't think that he'll coddle the domestic duallies.

But, deep down, feel like, why not Callahan?

But, I know to any impartial observer, that's crazy talk.

So, I'm good with Poch if that's what happens.

 

Poch holds all the cards.

 

The case against Poch is that his style in particular has tended to wear thin and be less effective over time with the players.

 

I think that's less of a concern in international play, though you could see his tendency towards wearing players out in the Bosnia game where we didn't make a sub until the 87th minute.