Pochettino era with USMNT starts with a win and positive signs

Mauricio Pochettino started his USMNT era with a win over Panama on Saturday. Yunus Musah’s first international goal and a late strike from Texas native Ricardo Pepi made the difference at Q2 Stadium.

Impressive Matt Turner double save

The hosts dominated proceedings and created the most clear-cut chances, but the game’s defining saves came from Matt Turner. The goalkeeping position has been one of the big talking points during the first training camp under the Argentinian coach.

Zack Steffen returned to the fold but missed the game due to a minor injury. The Colorado Rapids shot-stopper is believed to have an advantage over Turner in terms of guaranteed playing time at club level. And most expected him to play at least one game in this international break before the injury.

As a result, Turner, who last played for Nottingham Forest in January, was presented with another chance. He took it with both hands as his double save from Yoel Bárcenas and Puma Rodríguez extended USMNT’s record of clean sheets in Austin to five games. Unless Steffen recovers in time for the Mexico game, he’ll once again feature on Tuesday.

Well-worked team goals

On the other hand, there is a similar pattern to draw from both goals. Three players were actively involved in those scenarios as we’ve seen fast-paced attacking moves rewarded with goals.

Christian Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson combined well at the edge of the box to put Musah through for his first competitive goal in nearly three years. Weston McKennie was an unused substitute with Pochettino opted to avoid a risk as he wasn’t fully fit for the game.

With the second goal, all three players who played a big part in it were substitutes. Haji Wright linked up well with PSV’s duo Malik Tillman and Pepi. Josh Sargent’s replacement met Wright’s pin-point delivery with the last meaningful kick of the game.

Pochettino expressed his willingness to put his philosophy aside to obtain the best result for the team, but there was no need for that on his debut. But after the same opponent denied USMNT a place in the Copa America knockout stage, the win would certainly boost morale ahead of the game at Akron Stadium.

The last time Mexico hosted the U.S. in a soccer friendly was in 2012 at Estadio Azteca. Back then, a team coached by Jürgen Klinsmann recorded a late win to secure a first-ever win on El Tri’s soil.

Pochettino picks new USMNT captain

Before settling with Pulisic in the wake of the World Cup, the captain’s armband rotated under Gregg Berhalter. And there could be another shift based on Pochettino’s unexpected decision to pick Tim Ream on Saturday.

Charlotte’s center-back captained the side for the first time since in the Nations League fixture away at Trinidad and Tobago. Saturday’s game also made the 37-year-old the oldest USMNT outfield player in over two decades.

The decision didn’t affect Pulisic’s performance, however. He was once again an instrumental figure as he added another direct goal involvement to his impressive start to the season. Before the game, Pochettino hailed Pulisic as “one of the best offensive players in the world”. 

PHOTOS: IMAGO