HE’S A KEEPER

Mauricio Pochettino Set to Become Next Head Coach of U.S. Men’s Team

He’s agreed to take charge of a national team for the first time.

Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to be the next head coach of the U.S. men’s national soccer team, according to reports. If the deal goes through the Argentine will succeed Gregg Berhalter, who was fired after the U.S. last month became the first host country to be knocked out at the group stage of the Copa América. Pochettino has never managed a national team before and most recently coached Chelsea, leaving the London club at the end of last season after a sixth-place Premier League finish. He built a strong reputation in the top flight of English soccer beginning with a club record eighth-place finish at Southampton in 2013 followed by later successes with Tottenham, including the team’s first Champions League final. Pochettino was then fired by the north London club five months later in 2019 after a string of bad results. He then spent a year at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Chelsea, where his side lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool in February.