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 didn’t hold back his thoughts on the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the current head coach of the USMNT. Arena, who now coaches the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS, expressed his concerns about having a non-American at the helm, suggesting that Pochettino might lack the necessary understanding of the country’s unique culture.
Argentine coach Pochettino was appointed last August with the significant task of leading the USMNT into the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This isn’t the first time the USMNT has been led by a non-American. German Jurgen Klinsmann, Serbian Bora Milutinović, and coaches from England, Poland, and Greece have all taken the reins in the past. However, Arena is not convinced that this approach is the best fit for the team.
During the podcast, Arena shared his perspective, saying, “You know if you look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach.” He elaborated on the challenges of having a coach unfamiliar with the American environment, culture, and players. “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 stated.
Arena emphasized the importance of understanding the environment and the players, saying, “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.”
The USMNT’s recent performance in the Concacaf Nations League Finals has added fuel to the fire. The team suffered a disappointing loss to Panama in the semifinals and then fell to Canada in the third-place playoff. Over the course of the international window, Pochettino openly questioned the team’s mentality and character, stating that talent alone would not be enough to earn a place on the roster for this summer’s Gold Cup.
As the focus remains on next summer, the U.S. will be looking to at least match its best World Cup performance in modern times, which was when Arena led the team to the quarterfinals in 2002. However, Arena, whose short second spell in 2017 ended in failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, expressed concern over whether the USMNT would be ready to challenge 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 was appointed last August to lead the team into the 2026 World Cup.
- Arena believes a domestic coach would better understand the U.S. culture and players.
- The USMNT recently lost to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League Finals.
- Pochettino has questioned the team’s mentality and character.
- The focus is on matching the 2002 World Cup performance under Arena’s leadership.
Originally Written by: ESPN
