Bruce Arena Criticizes Pochettino’s Appointment as USMNT Coach
In a recent episode of the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast, former United States men’s national team coach Bruce Arena did not hold back his thoughts on the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the current head coach of the USMNT. Arena, who is now at the helm of the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS, expressed his concerns about having a non-American coach leading the team, emphasizing the importance of understanding the country’s unique culture.
Argentine coach Pochettino was brought on board last August with the significant task of steering the USMNT towards the 2026 World Cup, which will be a grand event jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. However, Arena’s skepticism stems from the belief that a coach from outside the U.S. might not fully grasp the intricacies of American soccer culture.
It’s worth noting that Pochettino is not the first non-American to take charge of the USMNT. The team has previously been led by international coaches such as German Jurgen Klinsmann, who was at the helm from 2011 to 2016, and Serbian Bora Milutinović, who guided the team during the 1994 World Cup hosted by the U.S. Other coaches from England, Poland, and Greece have also had their stints with the team over the years.
Despite this history, Arena remains unconvinced. “You know if you look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach,” Arena remarked during the podcast, which featured former USMNT stalwarts Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. “And I think when you have coaches that don’t know our culture, our environment, our players, it’s hard. I’m sure our coach is a very good coach, but coaching international football is different than club football, it’s a completely different job.”
Arena elaborated on the challenges of coaching a national team, emphasizing the need for a deep understanding of the environment and the players. “And I think when you’re a national team coach, you need to know your environment, you need to know the animals you coach, and we’re lacking that. If you’re an American coaching the U.S. team, you know the culture, you know the pride and how important the national team is. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don’t understand it, especially in our country, because we’re so different.”
Recent USMNT Performance Raises Concerns
The USMNT’s recent performance in the Concacaf Nations League Finals has added fuel to Arena’s concerns. The team suffered a disappointing loss to Panama in the semifinals and subsequently fell to Canada in the third-place playoff. These results have raised questions about the team’s readiness for the upcoming World Cup.
During the international window, Pochettino openly questioned the team’s mentality and character, suggesting that talent alone would not suffice for a place on the roster for this summer’s Gold Cup. He reiterated these sentiments in a recent interview, emphasizing the need for the right characters on the team.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 World Cup
The focus remains on next summer, when the U.S. will aim to at least match its best World Cup performance in modern times, which was achieved under Arena’s leadership in 2002 when the team reached the quarterfinals. However, Arena, whose brief second stint in 2017 ended in the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, has expressed concerns about the team’s preparedness to compete with the world’s best.
“You ask me if we lacked pride, I’m watching and I’m shocked. I’m shocked that we can’t beat Panama and Canada,” Arena added. “It was shocking to me. I don’t want to be disrespectful. I want them to do great in the World Cup, there’s no question about it. But we only have a year left now. Time is running out, and they got to get going.”
- Bruce Arena criticizes the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as USMNT coach.
- Pochettino is tasked with leading the team into the 2026 World Cup.
- Arena emphasizes the importance of understanding American soccer culture.
- USMNT’s recent performance in the Concacaf Nations League Finals raises concerns.
- The focus is on preparing for the 2026 World Cup.
Originally Written by: ESPN
