Former U.S. Men’s National Team player and youth coach Tab Ramos said there is room for improvement when it comes to the development of U.S. coaches, one of the many sore points U.S. soccer has suffered in recent years as the country strives to continue break into the upper echelons of men’s football. .
Coaching has been a particular area of focus in recent months for the USMNT, who traded Gregg Berhalter for Mauricio Pochettino this summer after their Copa America group stage exit forced a rethink ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil. However, for former U-20 USMNT head coach Ramos, coaching issues also exist at the youth level due to a rigid mandate from those at the top.
“The coaching needs to be better, but you have to remember that coaches in this country are as well trained as anywhere in the world,” Ramos said on the latest episode of Kickin’ It, the CBS Sports Golazo Network interview show. “It has to get better, but if your general direction is: ‘We have to play at the back no matter what. We have to play 4-3-3 no matter what’, then you are very limited.”
Ramos’ criticism focused more on the limited encouragement for innovation rather than the actual tactical vision for the youth and senior national teams.
“In the youth national teams we used to have a playing style and it was generally a 4-3-3, high pressing, because I felt it suited the kind of people we are,” Ramos said. said. “I still have that feeling, by the way. If it were me, I would put high pressure all the way through the match, and yes, sometimes you will lose 5-0. Yes, you will lose, but most of the time your players will be happy because the American player is willing to work and wants to go after teams, and especially the American player likes to be the underdog and so I think that really suits our personality.”
This is the latest round of constructive criticism from Ramos in recent months, especially in the wake of Berhalter’s dismissal. He was one of many who suggested that US Soccer hire a foreign coach to replace Berhalter, which the federation did with Pochettino. The Argentinian manager will coach a national team for the first time after more than ten years of coaching in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga.
“I hope we go after an international coach,” Ramos said. per Soccer America. “We need someone for eighteen months who knows the World Cup and can prepare this team as best as possible to give this team the best chance of a great World Cup. That’s all. No learning on the job.” Someone who has been there and done that. Win as much as possible at the World Cup, and then we will see what happens after the World Cup, if US Soccer chooses, we can start another ‘project’ with analytics. presentations and all the new buzzwords that will be there in 2026 to show how we will develop in the future. But now, with a World Cup coming up At home we must win matches.”
The USMNT return to play Panama on October 12, when Pochettino will take charge of the team for the first time since his official appointment this month.