Mauricio Pochettino wants college football-style atmosphere for USMNT

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Mauricio Pochettino wears plenty of hats in his role as U.S. Men’s National Team head coach, from tactician to roster manager to ambassador for the sport in the United States. 

He was in the middle of performing his ambassador duties last weekend in Ohio on the set of Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” ahead of the Ohio State-Texas college football game and had the “type of surprise” that’s hard to come by at the age of 53.

The USMNT coach was blown away by the atmosphere and the passion of the fans that he saw and it made him hopeful he will generate the same sort of support for his team someday. 

“It’s our responsibility to translate to all these people that maybe are more focused on another sport like football — American football,” Pochettino said. “It’s to try to convince them [to] share with soccer that passion. If only a little bit we can translate to our sport, I think our players will appreciate a lot, and for sure [the fans] will help us to achieve or earn what we want.” 

In order for Pochettino and the USMNT to achieve that, they’ll need to make a deep run on the world stage next summer when the World Cup comes to the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Saturday’s friendly against Korea (5 p.m., TNT) will provide Pochettino a first look at his squad as the calendar slowly inches toward June. 

The men’s national team has spent the past week training in New Jersey at the Red Bulls training facility in Whippany ahead of friendlies against Korea and Japan on Tuesday.

The group that has been assembled in the Garden State, just outside Manhattan, has been a mix of veteran players and up-and-comers, including 13 players from Major League Soccer. 

And if one thing has become clearer, even just in the past week, it’s that the players who make the final roster for the World Cup next summer will need to earn it, not just rest on their laurels of a perceived hierarchy among national team players. 

“There’s been a lot of speculation, or just talk in general [in the press], about guys who aren’t here and it’s guys with a lot of caps,” defender Chris Richards said. “I agree that there probably isn’t a hierarchy anymore, and that it’s more of — you’re only as good as your last camp. I think that’s kind of the mentality that the training staff has given us, is that every time is a chance to come in here and earn your spot. 

“If you were to choose a roster tomorrow, it would be completely changed, probably to the next day. So every time you come into camp, the chance to earn your spot and your place is never safe.” 

The U.S. Men’s National Team will have Christian Pulisic back on the pitch after a dramatic summer absence when he opted not to participate in the Gold Cup over the summer, leading to a rash of criticism from former USMNT members.

Pochettino said Friday that the issue was “in the past” and that Pulisic is “happy to be here.” 

They’ll also have fullback Sergino Dest, who missed more than a year due to a torn ACL, back for the national team.

“I think the objective is to add players, new faces that really start to buy the idea that we started to build when we started the Gold Cup,” he explained. “I think that is why I am a little relaxed that the main group is starting to understand what we want and we want to arrive in the World Cup in our best condition. They need to know each other.” 

Pochettino’s objective going forward for the group is to continue to build off of what it did at the Gold Cup, reaching the final before losing to Mexico.