USMNT opens Mauricio Pochettino era with 2-0 win over Panama: Key takeaways

By
James BAOUCH
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The Mauricio Pochettino era of the U.S. men’s national team started with a win.

Yunus Musah’s 49th-minute goal and a late finish from Ricardo Pepi lifted the U.S. to a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday night in front of 20,239 in Austin, Texas.

Musah, playing a wider role for the Americans in his first start under the new coach, got his first goal for the U.S. with a late-arriving run into the box. Pepi doubled the lead on an assist from Haji Wright in the final seconds of the match, his fourth goal for the U.S. at Q2 Stadium.

It wasn’t a perfect performance against Panama in Pochettino’s debut as an international manager. The U.S. made some sloppy mistakes playing out of the back at times, Panama forced goalkeeper Matt Turner into two big saves in the second half and José Fajardo missed a clear chance in the final minutes to equalize. But the U.S. found a way to get the win against the team that shocked them in the group stage of the Copa America, a result that helped knock the Americans out of the summer tournament and led to a coaching change and Pochettino’s hire.

The hope is that the result will build confidence and momentum as the U.S. begins its work under Pochettino.

What were the impressions of Pochettino’s first starting XI?

Pochettino’s first starting lineup had a few surprises — albeit with the caveats of who was and was not available.

In midfield, Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio got starts next to Musah. Busio, 22, was a starter for the U.S. Olympic team, but has not carved out consistent playing time with the senior national team. Morris, 22, has had a solid start to his career with Middlesbrough after starring for the Columbus Crew in MLS.

Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna were out of this camp with injury and Weston McKennie started (and stayed) on the bench. Pochettino was likely managing minutes for McKennie, who arrived having played significant minutes in Serie A and Champions League with Juventus. On Friday, Pochettino said it was important for the national team to send players back to their team in as-good or better condition than when they arrived.

Center back Mark McKenzie, who narrowly missed out on the 2022 World Cup squad, got a crucial opportunity to make an impression on his new coach. With Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers injured, McKenzie stepped into the opening next to veteran Tim Ream in the back line. The U.S. staff saw McKenzie play for Toulouse in person ahead of camp, and McKenzie held his own in the back line.

Notably, the 37-year-old Ream wore the captain’s armband for Pochettino.

A few other World Cup veterans also got starts, but at positions where the competition feels more open. Josh Sargent started up top amid good goal-scoring form with Norwich; Brenden Aaronson started on the right wing; and Matt Turner got the nod in goal despite not playing minutes at the club level with Crystal Palace.

What tweaks did Pochettino introduce in how the U.S. played?


Saturday offered a first look at how the U.S. national team will play under Pochettino. (Scott Wachter / Imagn Images)

The U.S. looked to defend out of a 5-2-3, with Musah dropping into a right wing back role — a definite change from what he has done in the past with the U.S.

The change paid off with the first goal of the Pochettino era.

Playing from that wider position as the U.S. pushed forward in transition, Musah made a late run into the box from the right side and met a Pulisic cross to finish from close range with a redirection in the 49th minute. It was his first goal in 42 games for the U.S.

The attack started through a long ball down the left side to Antonee Robinson, who won his one-on-one battle and played a ball to Pulisic, who combined with Aaronson to get space and then crossed for Musah’s late-arriving run.

It looked like the Americans were trying to entice Panama to try to play through the middle of the field with their defensive posture, but the Panamanian players stayed pinned to the touchlines trying to stretch the width of the field. At times, that made the U.S. look different in how they transitioned into attack. Typically, the U.S. has been a team that attacks through its wing play with Pulisic, Tim Weah, Robinson and, when healthy, Sergiño Dest providing much of the danger. Against Panama on Saturday night, Pulisic and Aaronson were often tucked inside a bit more under Sargent.

In the first half, the most dangerous chances for the U.S. came through set pieces. First, Pulisic worked a short corner to get a cross into a dangerous place in the 11th minute, but McKenzie whiffed on the header. Then, a Pulisic free kick in the 42nd minute made its way to the far post where Busio played a ball back across to Sargent, whose left-footed shot went over the crossbar.

The goal, though, came from that width, with Robinson’s ability to bomb up the left side starting the problem and Musah’s late run being rewarded.

What’s next for the U.S. men’s national team?

The U.S. will get a bigger test in their next game on Tuesday in Guadalajara, Mexico against their biggest rival.

Games against Mexico demand a different level of intensity, and even more so on the road in a hostile environment. The U.S. has rarely earned results on the road in Mexico, though it managed a point at the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City during a World Cup qualifier in 2022.

The U.S. has been dominant against Mexico as of late, however. The Americans have not lost to Mexico since a 3-0 defeat in a friendly in 2019, going 5-0-2 since that loss, including wins in the Nations League finals and semifinals and a Gold Cup final, as well as a win and draw in qualifying.

Tuesday’s friendly is the first between the teams on Mexican soil since Aug.15, 2012, when the U.S. earned a 1-0 victory at the Azteca, the USMNT’s only win in Mexico in any competition.

Required reading

(Photo: Omar Vega / Getty Images)



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