U.S. Soccer has hired its man, folks.

On Sept. 10, the federation secured Mauricio Pochettino as their new men's national team coach heading into 2026 World Cup.

The former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager has one of the strongest CVs in the international game. Sure, he has far less than a standard four-year World Cup cycle to shape the U.S. into his own image, but the former Argentina international didn't seem too worried about that in his introductory press conference.

"I think everyone thinks that there's no time to prepare and to arrive, in our condition, to the World Cup," Pochettino said in his introductory press conference with the media. "What I want to tell you that I am in the opposite side. I believe that there's enough time. I don't want to create an excuse for the player to say, 'well, yeah, but now we don't have time to buy into the new ideas, the new philosophy.' No, football is like this—it's to touch the right buttons and start to perform."

If Pochettino leads the United States to glory (or something approaching glory) on home soil in 2026, that quote will make him look like a genius. To get there, of course, he'll have to hit the right buttons and answer the biggest questions.

Here, we're diving into a set of those big questions facing Pochettino ahead of his first set of games in charge of the team in October.

How Should the USMNT Play?

It's not easy being the coach of a mid-tier national team.

Unlike the top national sides in the world, the U.S. lacks the sort of truly elite distributors and final-third playmakers to reliably break down low blocks, which means dropping crucial points at the feet of a lower-tier Concacaf nations is always on the table.

Because lower-quality teams are wary of the United States and respond by defending in a deeper block, the USMNT can't simply default to a counter-attacking style.

When you're a mid-tier national team, balance is often the name of the game. Against a great side, there may be a larger emphasis on deeper defending; against a beatable team, there may be a larger emphasis on possession.

So, what will the Argentine's U.S. look like as the team transitions into a new era under the most qualified coach to lead the program?

At his inaugural press conference, Pochettino said: "We are a coaching staff that the first thing is we love the aesthetic in football…our philosophy is to have the ball. We need to run, we need to move. We need to give options, good angles, you know, to your teammates."

From that quote, it sounds like the new manager is interested in helping the U.S. fulfill Gregg Berhalter's initial possession-based tactical vision. But just before professing his love for pass-and-move soccer, he made sure to leave the back door open should he need to pivot.

"We need to see the players and see all their characteristics," he added. "But I think we are very flexible."

Without reliable distributors in the back or at the base of midfield in the U.S. pool, Pochettino knows his preferred tactical approach could prove challenging. We'll have to wait and see just how dogmatic the new manager is after he's had his first camp next month.

Can the USMNT Involve Its Strikers?

If there's been one consistent flaw in the USMNT's attacking performances over the last almost six years, it's been its inability to involve its strikers in the final third.

Outside of Jesus Ferreira's temporary use as a false nine, the United States did a poor of unlocking their No. 9s under former manager Gregg Berhalter (and the various interims between and after his two-part tenure).

As analyst Paul Harvey of Backheeled noted: "[Berhalter's] possession system was often woefully inadequate in creating chances, both in general and for his strikers in particular. He abandoned any real effort to create sustained pressure in zone 14."

Far too often, the United States' touch map looked just like this one from its clash with Japan a few months before the last World Cup, with a real lack of danger in and around the opposing box.

For the U.S. to maximize its work on the ball as the 2026 World Cup nears, Pochettino has to nail down a list of more effective attacking patterns.

Folarin Balogun is the most talented No. 9 the USMNT has seen in years, but if he's not being fed by the midfield or the wide attackers, then the 23-year-old is being wasted.

Whether it's with a formation change or refreshed possession principles, Pochettino has an attack to fix.

Who's the Starting Goalkeeper?

Matt Turner isn't playing in the Premier League, and his various backups over the last several years have done little to make a case for an opportunity between the posts for the USMNT, especially not with a World Cup closing in.

So, who should be in contention to start in goal for the United States?

I'd bet real money that Pochettino and his assistants are combing through tape ahead of a pair of October friendlies against Panama and Mexico in hopes of answering that question.

Against Canada earlier in September, it was Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte who earned the nod. However, interim manager Mikey Varas selected the team then rather than Pochettino.

Schulte looks like the kind of goalkeeper the Argentine would appreciate: He's better with his feet than most in the U.S. pool thanks to his time playing for Wilfried Nancy with Columbus Crew and he's been a well-above-average shot-stopper this year.

Still, we don't know if Pochettino rates the 23-year-old, or if he'll be a quality option against good teams at the international level.

Outside of Schulte, the USMNT should take a look at New York City FC's Matt Freese. The 26-year-old has saved 8.4 goals more than expected this year, according to FBref, good for second in the league and good for first among all American goalkeepers.

He's been the most consistent and most effective USMNT-eligible shot-stopper on the planet over the last seven months.

If Pochettino is looking for names—and he should be—Freese and Schulte are both worth longer looks.

Can He Improve the Players?

If you're looking for reasons why the USMNT seemed to stall after a promising run to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, you'd be justified in looking toward the sidelines. And you'd be even more justified in looking at the players themselves.

Since the last World Cup, a bunch of key U.S. players have stalled at club level. Let's run through just part of the list, shall we?

Matt Turner is a backup on loan at Crystal Palace, while Selhurst Park teammate Chris Richards is yet to become a lockdown center back.

Thanks to injuries, Tyler Adams has barely played any soccer for AFC Bournemouth since joining in August 2023. Yunus Musah hasn't become a regular starter for AC Milan. Sergiño Dest couldn't cut it at the same club, moved to PSV and is now in the middle of rehabbing from a long-term knee injury.

Gio Reyna isn't first-choice at Borussia Dortmund. Tim Weah hasn't become more goal dangerous. Brenden Aaronson wasn't an impact player in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin and is now back in the Championship with Leeds United, and Folarin Balogun hasn't shined with Monaco.

You get where I'm going here. The USMNT hasn't taken a step forward as a whole in no small part because so many of its individual players are struggling. For Pochettino, the mandate is to cut through a slew of imperfect club situations to help these players perform at their best.

"When the players feel that you care, I think you can get the best from them," he said.

With quick texts, detailed film breakdowns over Zoom, in-person visits and clear tactical communication during national-team camps, Pochettino has some careers to rejuvenate.