The question came twenty minutes after Mauricio Pochettino’s introductory press conference as US men’s national coach; the first question of the event in his native Spanish.
“It gives me some peace,” Pochettino joked about the chance to rest his English.
“What was the challenge that made you want to take the American job?” the journalist asked.
The question got to the heart of an issue hovering over the entire event at a glitzy high-rise in New York City’s Hudson Yards development. Why would a manager with such a huge reputation see this as his next step?
The 52-year-old former manager of Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea first spoke about the feeling he had when meeting with US Soccer executives, and then about the great potential of the sport in the US. Then he got down to the task: taking the USMNT to another level.
“It is a challenge that takes us out of our comfort zone,” Pochettino said, smiling in Spanish. “For us it’s easy to adopt things we already know, and we already have a quick vision and idea (of how to achieve that). But here’s the thing about taking on something you don’t know very well; get out of your comfort zone so you can challenge yourself.
“It’s not just about the challenge of achieving things together, but also about challenging yourself.”
US Soccer CEO JT Batson, technical director Matt Crocker, Pochettino and president Cindy Parlow (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Whether consciously or not, Pochettino set himself on a parallel path with his new team. For several cycles, the idea of “getting out of your comfort zone to grow” has been part of the USMNT’s journey to improvement. The idea dates back to the days of Jurgen Klinsmann, but was also often discussed by former coach Gregg Berhalter.
But the idea is about more than just going to Europe to play for the biggest clubs. It’s about understanding how to find the right challenges that force you to grow. To get better.
That Pochettino sees this job as a challenge for his own growth was perhaps the most important conclusion from Friday’s press conference. The US needed a new voice to push them to take the next step, beyond their potential and towards results. They will now begin that journey with a coach who has a bigger reputation than anyone in the room, but who is looking for the same kind of growth.
Pochettino came across as charming, excited and motivated at the press conference. He talked about how happy he was to be with the U.S., the honor of being the first Spanish-speaking Latin American coach in the program’s history, and his connection with U.S. women’s coach Emma Hayes and the potential influence on the winning history. of the USWNT can have on the men’s program.
He told a story about learning the English term ‘being over the moon’ in his early days as manager of Southampton in the Premier League and said that he and his family Are overjoyed that he took this new job.
Him switching back and forth between English and Spanish was itself a historic moment and representative of how this hire creates an unprecedented opportunity for US Soccer to reach this country’s massive – and growing – Latino population.
However, Pochettino clearly understood that reaching fans, both new and old, comes down to one thing: winning.
Pochettino is presented to the media at Hudson Yards (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Several times throughout the morning, Pochettino returned to a simple idea that he believes can move this team forward: faith. He said the word “believe” twelve times over the course of the hour-long event. For a coach known for his ability to inspire a dressing room, this indicated the way he will focus on mentality and psychology as much as tactics.
“‘Faith’ for me is a word that is a powerful word,” Pochettino said. “You can have enormous talent and be smart, but in football you have to believe. Believe that anything is possible. If we find a way to all believe together, we will certainly achieve that.”
He later reinforced that idea with his look at the World Cup tournament that the US will host together with Mexico and Canada in two years.
“We really have to believe in big things,” Pochettino said. “Believe that we can not only win a match, but also the World Cup. … We want players to show up on the first day of training camp and think big. That is the only way to co-create this philosophy or idea, perform and put your talent at the service of the team. That will be our enormous challenge.”
Bringing back that belief will be first on his to-do list as USMNT coach.
The US clearly lacked confidence in the September window, something Pochettino said was understandable given the results in the Copa América. The performances in a defeat against Canada and a draw against New Zealand only increased the problems within the group. However, Pochettino didn’t seem too concerned about the group’s overall culture, then hinted at the idea of tapping into the “winning mentality” that pervades American sports and taking inspiration from the winning culture that the American women have long demonstrated.
“We are here because we want to win,” Pochettino said.
The video board announces Pochettino’s appointment during the friendly against New Zealand in Cincinnati (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Of course, ideas about play were also discussed.
“We are in the US,” Pochettino said. “I think that to convince our fans, this is about to attract them, and the aesthetics are very important. We want to play beautiful football, good football, exciting football, attacking football. And then of course we want to have possession of the ball, because we are also a technical staff with the philosophy of having the ball. We have to run, we have to move, we have to give options and good angles to your teammate. … And then when we don’t have the ball, we have to run, we have to be aggressive, we have to be competitive.
“The potential is there. The talent is there. It is just to create the best platform for them to express themselves.”
While Pochettino acknowledged that these are his team’s trademarks, he also said he wants to get a feel for his players before announcing how this American team will play.
That process will begin in the coming days, when Pochettino will inevitably sit down and meet members of the player pool, including key winger Christian Pulisic. Pochettino said he wants to hear from team members individually to get feedback on how they see things. He will then bring the group together for the first time next month for friendlies in Austin, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico.
The process to get a deal over the line has been long, taking over two months from the start of recruitment to his formal induction. Pochettino admitted it was difficult to wait for it. He was ready to go to work.
Now the clock has started. The US has less than two years until the World Cup and a mountain to climb to get ready. However, they have a coach that few thought would take this group to that tournament.
A coach who will now try to inject belief in and around this team.
GO DEEPER
How USMNT landed Pochettino: Hayes’ role, Chelsea delays and Argentinian steak
(Top photo: Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)