Mauricio Pochettino has done brilliantly well to craft a deep and talented player pool and build a strong squad culture at U.S. Soccer during his two-plus years in charge.
Now that the Argentine is leaving to take over at Manchester United, his successor would be smart to try and keep many of the implementations Pochettino brought to U.S. Soccer in place.
However, the new USMNT manager will surely wish to bring their own touch to the federation, and they will have their own favorites within the squad. In addition, some players will surely catch the new boss’s ire through their time in charge.
The Sporting News speculates on three players who could benefit from a change in USMNT head coach, and three players who might find life more difficult with Pochettino no longer in their corner.
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Players who could benefit from Mauricio Pochettino’s exit
Tanner Tessmann
No top U.S. player suffered more under Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching tenure than Tanner Tessmann.
It would seem that a 25-year-old midfielder in his prime playing for one of France’s biggest clubs in Lyon would be a shoo-in to the USMNT squad, but Tessmann barely appeared at all under the Argentine in meaningful games. It felt like Tessmann was building a solid USMNT career as he earned six straight caps through late 2025 and early 2026 in friendlies leading up to the World Cup, and then was mysteriously left off the roster for the World Cup.
His absence was baffling, but he remained out of the squad even in the two international breaks to begin the 2030 cycle, despite maintaining a starting role for Lyon.
It’s likely that under a new coach, Tessmann — a strong passer and decent defender — would get a more considerable look and a chance to earn a spot in the squad.
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Johnny Cardoso
Poorly-timed injuries have played a significant role in Johnny Cardoso’s lack of playing time for the U.S. under Mauricio Pochettino, but he was also left down the USMNT midfield pecking order.
After excelling at Real Betis, the 25-year-old earned a big move to Atletico Madrid back in 2025, and while he began in a squad role, he slowly built himself into a starter at the Metropolitano. Despite that, he made just six appearances and two starts under Pochettino, and was left off the World Cup squad.
A strong defensive No. 6 with decent passing range, Cardoso will likely be heavily considered by a new manager who wishes to foster his own personnel pecking order.
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Yunus Musah
Few players have gone from first-choice star to afterthought faster than Yunus Musah, who was once considered a midfielder for now and the future but has currently been cast adrift from the national team squad.
Musah, who already has 50 international caps at just 23 years old, had fallen into obscurity at AC Milan, struggling with a complicated mix of skill strengths and struggles. As a midfielder with far too risky of a passing profile, some managers have tried to play him on the wing, where he has struggled mightily, without the one-on-one capabilities required of that position. He also struggled at full-back, where he doesn’t quite have the defensive acumen to play along the back line.
It was therefore understandable that Pochettino found no use for Musah all the way up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but even as Musah regained a starting spot at Milan to begin the 2026/27 season, he remained on the outside of the squad. He was briefly recalled for the lengthened September/October international break, but after failing to impress, he was left off the October list for CONCACAF Nations League games.
Musah could get a fresh start under a new international head coach, but he also has his own issues to work through to prove he still belongs.
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Players who could suffer from Mauricio Pochettino’s exit
Sebastian Berhatler
Few players benefitted more from Mauricio Pochettino’s managerial tenure like Sebastian Berhalter, the son of Poch’s predecessor Gregg Berhalter.
When he was first brought in, fans criticized Berhalter’s presence as some kind of MLS loyalty by Pochettino, but Berhalter has more than proven his value to the team, with excellent passing range, brilliant set-piece delivery, and competent defensive qualities. Furthermore, Berhalter has brought a fire to the squad that Pochettino has been desperate to implement in his culture shift at U.S. Soccer.
After being included in the World Cup squad this summer, Berhalter earned a move to Middlesbrough in the Championship, and has immediately grasped a key role with the club.
Thankfully for Berhalter, he is proving himself well abroad after a move to England, and he should remain firmly on the radar for any future manager. Still, there will be much less loyalty shown to a player favored by Pochettino, especially if he continues to struggle defending counter-attacks.
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Alex Freeman
No player enjoyed a bigger rise to prominence under Mauricio Pochettino than Alex Freeman, who was plucked from international obscurity at Orlando City and put in a position to succeed. He snatched that opportunity, carving out a genuine starting role with the USMNT at right-back and earning a big move to La Liga side Villarreal in the process.
Already, the 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United as Pochettino joins the Premier League side. It’s very clear that Pochettino has taken a liking to Freeman, enough to play Sergino Dest at right wing.
Freeman has no doubt earned his spot with the USMNT, but could another manager decide they wish to keep Dest at right-back and threaten Freeman’s starting spot? It’s certainly possible that Freeman finds more challenge to playing time internationally, especially as his time at Villarreal has been spotty so far.
Gio Reyna
More than any other manager so far in Gio Reyna’s career, Mauricio Pochettino did not care that the 24-year-old was not playing much at the club level. If he’s good enough for the international team, that’s all he cared about.
It worked, as Gio was fantastic almost every time he stepped on the field, even through his club struggles.
Thankfully for Reyna, he has begun to finally carve out a strong club career at Strasbourg, where he is playing consistently and contributing well on the field. Still, if his club playing time dips, the new USMNT head coach may not be as forgiving as Pochettino was.
