Mauricio Pochettino may be leaving before his project with U.S. Soccer has fully come to fruition, but the 6-0 victory over Haiti in his penultimate match in charge put on display everything he has built so far with the USMNT.
The 54-year-old will depart for Manchester United after the two matches against Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals this November, leaving behind the project he just months ago signed on to craft through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. His early departure leaves Pochettino’s time at the helm of the USMNT a debate whether it was truly a success.
Yet he agreed to take charge of these two matches before returning to coach in the Premier League, wishing to see through at least this international camp to serve as his U.S. swansong.
In the first leg from Miami on Saturday evening, the U.S. players put on a show, winning by a dominant 6-0 score and displaying all the signature qualities Pochettino had brought to the U.S. federation since being hired in 2024.
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USMNT obliterates Haiti in first leg of Nations League quarterfinal
It was dominance from start to finish for the United States men as they brushed Haiti aside by a 6-0 score in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.
Christian Pulisic was the star of the show, scoring two goals and leading the counter-attack for another, while Juilan Hall, Auston Trusty, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun all got on the scoresheet as well, and Malik Tillman provided two assists.
It could have been even worse, as Balogun had another goal chalked off by a ridiculous VAR review, and Haiti winger Josue Casimir should have been sent off in the first half for a slap to Sebastian Berhalter’s face that was somehow missed by the officials. Haiti also had a goal chalked off by VAR as well.
The win set the United States up perfectly to advance to the final four of the Nations League in March, needing only to maintain their aggregate advantage through the second leg in Cincinnati on Tuesday to secure advancement.
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Mauricio Pochettino has USMNT dominating lesser opponents
The victory was a perfect display of everything Mauricio Pochettino has brought to U.S. Soccer during his two-plus years in charge.
While Pochettino has not quite had enough time to elevate the USMNT against top-tier opponents against which the federation hopes to challenge in the future, his time has clearly brought change to the results against inferior opposition.
Under Pochettino, the U.S. has brushed aside its occasional struggles against teams they should dominate, routinely defeating inferior opponents in commanding fashion. At the World Cup this summer, the U.S. achieved controlling victories against Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, all teams ranked significantly lower. Since the summer, they have wins against Peru, Chile, Mexico, Canada, and now Haiti, all of which came in strong fashion.
With previous managers in charge, the USMNT has occasionally had trouble breaking down inferior opponents who bunker in, struggling to create chances against teams who make life difficult for the United States in the final third. This has been especially true in CONCACAF play, particularly on the road, where the U.S. has often found life difficult.
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Pochettino hasn’t been tested with many CONCACAF road games during his time in charge, but he has managed to brush aside the issues against defensive opposition, as they have routinely cooked teams they were meant to beat handily.
The high-pressing, chaotic style of play has worked very well against inferior opponents, forcing them out of their shell by conceding some possession and then punishing them for their sloppiness on the ball.
“We played for him, this is his team and his identity,” said Auston Trusty after the game on the TNT broadcast. “The mindset is to win every single game, every single match, no matter the opponent and no matter how many goals you’re up you keep fighting and keep putting on the scoreboard, keep doing your thing.”
Had Pochettino stayed longer, he may have been able to build the team into a side that could challenge the top 10 ranked teams in the world, but what he has accomplished in the last two years was on full display in Miami on Saturday.
