Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is the leading candidate for the vacant U.S. men's national team spot, according to multiple sources briefed on the coaching search.
The federation was still considering candidates as of last week, but Pochettino was seen as the front-runner and the U.S. Soccer Association was in talks with his camp, according to people familiar with the matter.
U.S. Soccer declined to comment on specific candidates for the post.
Pochettino's hiring would be a big shock, especially at a time when U.S. fans are clamoring for a big-name manager. The Argentine has never managed a national team, but has had plenty of success at club level, leading Southampton to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League in 2013, a league record with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final in 2019, and the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain. Most recently, Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-place finish and European Championship qualification, but he is set to step down at the end of the 2023-24 season.
US Soccer Association sporting director Matt Crocker and Pochettino overlapped during the Argentine's time at Southampton, where Crocker ran the club's academy before leaving in November 2013 to join the Football Association.
Pochettino managed Chelsea last season (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Argentine media outlet Ole had previously reported that Pochettino was a candidate for the post.
While it's possible that U.S. Soccer will make a hire and announce it before the September transfer window, a source briefed on the program's plans said the federation plans to tap former U.S. U-20 men's national team coach and current USMNT assistant Mikey Vallas to lead the senior team in friendlies against Canada and New Zealand on Sept. 7 and Sept. 10, respectively.
The U.S. has been without a coach since firing Gregg Berhalter after being eliminated in the group stage of this summer's Copa America. Berhalter will coach from December 2018 to December 2022, leading the U.S. back to the World Cup after failing to qualify in 2018, then return to the position from June 2023 to July 2024.
The U.S. had a disastrous Copa campaign, beating Bolivia in their opening group game before losing to Panama after winger Tim Weah received a red card and played more than an hour with just one man, then losing 1-0 to Uruguay in their final group game.
Going deeper
Pochettino's Chelsea departure won't leave him in ruins
Pochettino will be the most well-known coach in the United States since World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann, who managed Germany and Bayern Munich before taking over as U.S. manager, but his fame is largely for his accomplishments on the field as a player. Pochettino has made a name for himself as a coach who leads teams that look to dominate space through positional play, but also like to press and attack opponents.
The 52-year-old was reportedly one of the world's highest-paid managers at PSG and Chelsea and will likely demand a top-tier salary, but Crocker says the federation will not be bound by financial constraints.
“It's a very competitive market salary-wise and we need to be competitive to get a coach at the level that I believe can move our program forward to achieve the results we want on the field,” Crocker said. “It's a priority and we're willing and able to invest.”
(Top photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
