Former USMNT star Taylor Twellman believes the United States men's national team made a mistake in hiring Mauricio Pochettino as manager – though not for the reasons that one might expect.
Back in September, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that Pochettino would be taking over as the USMNT boss, signing a two-year contract that will run through the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine succeeds Gregg Berhalter, who was relieved of his duties following an uninspiring group-stage exit from the 2024 Copa America.
Pochettino brings a fresh perspective to the Stars and Stripes, having never managed a national team but previously coached European giants including Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. While Twellman is a fan of his appointment, he questioned why it took so long for the USMNT to move on from Berhalter.
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“My question would be why now and not after the ‘22 World Cup?” he exclusively told Mirror Sports U.S. “I understand that they wanted to look into things, but now looking at the funds and raising the funds and then waiting for Copa America and that struggle, I've always been on the record. I think back-to-back tenures for national team coaches are not ideal because you can get complacent with the same messenger, the same message.
“I've always been that way, whether you're successful or not,” added Twellman, who earned 30 caps and scored six goals for the USMNT from 2002-08. “I think the only way you should get a second tenure, quite honestly, is having a historical run similar in the United States like Bruce Arena did in 2002 to then get the second run, but then look at the 2006 World Cup. That was not great, to be polite.”
Despite being named the MLS MVP a year prior, Twellman was left off of the 23-man roster for the 2006 World Cup. His presence in Germany would be sorely missed, as the U.S. would suffer an early exit following losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana, as well as a 1-1 draw against Italy.
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Following the United States’ loss to the Netherlands in the first knockout round of the 2022 World Cup, Berhalter was rehired as the team’s boss in June of 2023. Discussing the extension, Twellman couldn't help but wonder what could’ve been had the USMNT hired Pochettino – or another coach of his standing.
“Pochettino's got a short runway to get there. I think we will all be left with the question, what if he started a year or two sooner?” he said. “I'm not saying Pochettino was available, but someone with the likes of Pochettino may have been available. And maybe he wasn't. Maybe that person wouldn't have been available unless it was just a short runway.
“But it is the right kind of hire, in my opinion, because someone that's been there, done it, and is a different voice outside of the United States of America, I think, is very important for this group of players.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup – which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico – Twellman conceded that playing on home soil may not be an advantage for the USMNT as many people expect it to be.
“It should be an advantage, but sometimes it can be a disadvantage with so much pressure,” he admitted. “If this group of players has been labeled as the golden generation of players for so many years, I don't know that answer.
“Obviously, I'm saying this in the moment where Christian Pulisic's playing the best he's ever played. Weston McKennie can make an argument [about] the same thing there, but there's also a lot of question marks around this team. Who's the goalkeeper? Who's the center backs? There's a lot of questions around the team, and so sometimes being at home can be a detriment because there's going to be a lot of pressure.”
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