Pochettino brings back faith in USMNT with win over Panama

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Mauricio Pochettino said he is happy, although it's sometimes hard to tell. Yes, the US men's national team beat Panama 2-0 in his first game as coach. But what emerged was definitely a mixed bag.

Even when Pochettino declared in his post-match press conference that the game was “amazing”, he maintained his stoic expression. It was only when he was reminded of the banner with his face behind one of the gates that his wide grin broke out.

“It was a huge shock for me to see my face behind the goal, a completely different picture,” he said. “I think I’m so happy; very good connection with the fans.”

Pochettino's emotions, both the obvious and the more subtle, were understandable. There were reasons to be happy with the performance and reasons not to be. The joy on Yunus Musah's face when he scored the USMNT's lead in the 49th minute – the first goal of his international career – would have lightened anyone's mood. The same was true of goalkeeper Matt Turner's epic double save three minutes later.

There were also concerns. There were some sloppy passages of play with the ball – especially in the final stages of the game – and the USA looked vulnerable at times in transition without the ball. In addition to Turner's save, it took a missed chance from Copa America nemesis José Fajardo in the 87th minute to keep the U.S. ahead. Pochettino couldn't fully relax until substitute Ricardo Pepi secured the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Players are certainly aware of the ups and downs.

“I don’t want to jump the gun too much,” Turner said. “It is a building block for the future because it was by no means perfect.”

But ultimately everything that happened made Pochettino a prophet. Ahead of Saturday's game at the Q2 Stadium, some words were repeated so often that they almost became a mantra. “Competing” was one of them. “Intensity” was another. “Confidence” was a third. And of course there was “Win”. The US showed just enough of the first three characteristics to ensure that the final word was achieved.

The fact that Pochettino left the field victorious in his first game contradicted much of his previous history. The first game at four of his five previous stops – Espanyol, Southampton, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea – all ended in draws. His first game at Tottenham Hotspur, a win over West Ham United, was the only exception.

But as important as it was for Pochettino to get off to a winning start, it was equally crucial for the players. In short, this was a win the USMNT desperately needed, even if it was a friendly. Last summer was a brutal time for the team. Since June 1, the record before Saturday's game was 1-4-2, and that run included a hugely disappointing group stage exit from the Copa América, thanks in large part to a loss to the same Panama team . That result cost Gregg Berhalter his job as U.S. coach, but the panic in which the USMNT found itself subsided in September, with a loss to Canada and a draw against New Zealand.

On the same day as the latter result, Pochettino was appointed US coach and anticipation has been building ever since. There was certainly a risk of unrealistic expectations. There was no question that Pochettino had a lot to do. Even Panama coach Thomas Christiansen noted during his post-match press conference that Pochettino would need time to “adapt his ideas to the team. He has the knowledge, the experience and he has the team and players to do a good job.”

But given how dejected the team looked in September, repairing his psyche could be Pochettino's biggest priority. He certainly invested a lot of time in this regard and the way he approached this task was different. Some were at the team level, while others focused more on the individual.

U.S. defender Tim Ream noted that Pochettino had spoken about confidence all week and that the mood as they left the field after Friday's bye was one of belief in what they were doing. But it also permeated the site in other ways.

“He wants us to be solid and great defensively and then for the boys to play the way they feel comfortable and move forward confidently with the ball,” said Ream. “And I think everyone saw that the boys were moving, especially in the first 15 minutes, using intricate passing, getting the ball moving quickly and getting in and around their penalty area, and when he tells the boys, they should go and be themselves, It's a sign that he has faith in you and you see that in all the guys out there.”

Pochettino's ability to do this on an individual level was also evident in the game, with Musah being a prime example. Musah has only played 147 minutes for AC Milan this season. Pochettino noted that Musah was not comfortable in a central midfield role in those brief moments. He also recalled how Musah spent time on the wing during his time in the Arsenal academy and at Valencia. So Pochettino took over that role on the right for Musah, a role that saw him drop deep into defense at times while also breaking into the attack.

“It’s really great that he knows us so much on a personal level,” Musah said of Pochettino.

It played to Musah's strengths and gave him the opportunity to run with the ball into the defense and also run into the penalty area. It was this latter quality that gave him the US opening goal and allowed him to take a cue from Christian Pulisic's central leadership. But for Pochettino it is part of a building process so he can push for more game time when he returns to his club.

“I think it was an important moment for him to trust him,” Pochettino said of Musah. “But maybe not take on too much responsibility in the construction. It’s just about being in a position that can help the team.”

He added: “(Musah's goal was) fantastic for him, fantastic for the team and now maybe he's starting to show and behave differently (where he's) full of confidence. That’s the most important thing in our decision (to) try to help.”

For a manager like Pochettino to say this certainly boosts confidence. His success so far gives his words a little more power and can resonate. But part of that is due to his accumulated experience and development as a coach. He knows how he behaves and how he affects the players.

“I think of course that a leader is a guy who is very confident and has a very good balance between ego, self-confidence, knowledge and everything,” Pochettino said during a roundtable with reporters on Friday. “With this good balance you are confident and don’t have to prove and show that you can make the decisions.”

The USMNT's rebuild will be put to another test on Tuesday when the team travels to Guadalajara to play longtime rivals Mexico. Play El Tri in Mexico is something that only a handful of players in the current squad have experienced. It will also mark Pochettino's entry into the rivalry. With a win under their belt, both coach and team are ready for the next steps forward.