The world is waiting to see what kind of impact Mauricio Pochettino has on the USMNT – but star man Christian Pulisic has already noticed a huge improvement.
Rarely have the USMNT boasted a manager of Pochettino's pedigree, although his stock has fallen somewhat in recent years.
Still, the Argentine head coach remains a high-profile manager and Pulisic believes the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss has already brought something to the squad ahead of their World Cup campaign.
Speaking to Men In Blazers , the Milan forward – upon whom the USA will be pinning most of their World Cup hopes – hailed Pochettino for bringing an added energy and steel to this side.
Asked how to describe Pochettino's man-management style, Pulisic said: "He brings energy, he brings a bit of nastiness within the team, I think. In a good way.
"We're going to go, we're going to press, we're going to fight, we're going to do the little dirty things at times that help you to win games."
Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Anyone who watched Pochettino's Tottenham team will know what kind of impact the former Southampton coach can have when he is given time.
Pochettino built the greatest Spurs team in modern history, based on the principle of high-intensity pressing.
Quite whether or not he can bring that to the USMNT when it matters, of course, remains to be seen. Those glory days at Spurs feel like a very long time ago, though it should be mentioned that Pochettino did a fine job at Chelsea with a young team in difficult circumstances.
His relationship with Pulisic will no doubt be key, too. Though describing the USMNT as a one-man team would be wrong, the 27-year-old is known as 'Captain America' for a reason.
International management is not always littered with high-profile coaches. This summer's tournament, however, is very different and Pochettino is right up there with some of the biggest names who will be seen on the touchline.
It remains to be seen how much that actually counts for, however.
Read more:
Everything you need to know about USMNT star man Christian Pulisic ahead of World Cup 2026
Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony won't be held in the US
