The Pros and cons of Mauricio Pochettino's sudden USMNT exit

There's no way U.S. Soccer drew it up like this. Just a few months after inking him to a new deal through the 2030 World Cup, and on the heels of a perfect international window in September and October, Mauricio Pochettino is stepping away as head coach of the USMNT. Pochettino appears to be on his way to being the new manager at Manchester United, leaving on the eve of the upcoming Nations League games with Haiti.

There's no doubt that this is not the kind of news the USMNT or its fanbase wanted to hear. The idea of Pochettino building on his success over the past two seasons and taking American soccer to another level over the next four years was enticing. There were already signs of progress during the last international break. But now that it's not happening, we can look closely at why it's such a bad break for U.S. Soccer, but also at some of the silver linings.

Pro: In the long term, the timing is good

It was always going to be tough to keep Pochettino around for another four years. Every time a big club had a job opening, he was going to be mentioned as a candidate. Sooner or later, the lure of a club like Manchester United was going to take him away from the USMNT. It almost felt inevitable.

It's actually good news that it happened so early in the 2030 cycle. A nightmare scenario would have been replacing two years or less before the 2030 World Cup, much like Pochettino did after the program parted ways with Gregg Berhalter. After the Nations League quarterfinals, it'll be four months until the USMNT's next competitive match. That gives U.S. Soccer plenty of time to consider its options and find a suitable replacement. There is no rush, and hopefully, the right choice is made.

Con: In the short term, the timing is terrible

Of course, all of this happening a few days before a pair of competitive matches is an absolute nightmare for the USMNT. It would have been more considerate of Manchester United not to start sniffing around Pochettino until after the international break. It leaves the U.S. in a position of uncertainty ahead of the two matches with Haiti.

Is Pochettino going to coach these two games, knowing that he's already got one foot out the door? Does U.S. Soccer want him coaching if that's the case? Is there a way to get an interim coach in place for two games? What happens to the psychology of the players with either a lame-duck coach or an interim coach? Pochettino and Manchester United doing this days before the Haiti matches has created a lot of questions with no clear answers.

Pro: It’s a fresh slate for players

Granted, this is a double-edged sword. Nevertheless, a new coach means a fresh start for most of the players. Players on the World Cup roster like Tim Weah and Joe Scally, who look to be on the outside of Pochettino's plans, will have a chance with a new manager. Players like Yunus Musah and Diego Luna, who appeared to have run out of chances with Pochettino, might be able to play their way back into the USMNT picture.

On the other hand, there are players who will be sad to see Pochettino go. Players like Sebastian Berhalter and Malik Tillman, who were elevated to key roles during Pochettino's tenure, will have to start from scratch with a new coach. Ultimately, a new coach will bring renewed competition for starting spots, which is a good thing.

Con: Early window momentum is gone

It may have just been four friendlies, mostly against inferior teams, but winning four matches rather convincingly in September and October was a huge accomplishment for the USMNT. Keep in mind that Pochettino and company did that without several established players. It was a group of youngsters who stood out the most.

With Pochettino gone and a prolonged coaching vacancy likely, that momentum is likely to disappear. Those four games did wonders for the belief of the fanbase, already creating excitement about what this group of players can accomplish in the years to come. However, a new coach will come with new uncertainties and a lot to prove. Part of the promise of 2030 is the fact that Pochettino wasn't starting from scratch and had already made progress. All of that is now gone.

Pro: $10 million release clause

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. There's nothing wrong with U.S. Soccer collecting $10 million on Pochettino's way out the door, not to mention a little more for his staff. The federation will also be free of his $6 million annual salary. That's a nice chunk of change that U.S. Soccer will have at its disposal. Obviously, they'd rather keep Pochettino, but the cash is a nice parting gift.

Hopefully, U.S. Soccer can show some semblance of competence when it comes to utilizing that money. Ideally, it could be invested in finding a new coach with a proven track record. The last thing U.S. Soccer needs to do right now is go bargain hunting for Pochettino's replacement. That $10 million they'll be collecting from Manchester United can be put to good use.

Con: What happens with dual-national recruitment?

Unfortunately, the world of dual-national recruitment doesn't stop just because you don't have a coach. Nobody is claiming that Pochettino was perfect in his pursuit of dual nationals. But having no head coach for the foreseeable future is obviously a detriment. Until a replacement can be hired, there is nobody to monitor dual nationals and recruit them to the USMNT.

During the Nations League quarterfinals, the U.S. is set to cap-tie multiple dual nationals. While it's unlikely that players like Julian Hall of Santiago Castañeda will have second thoughts about being cap-tied, it's not impossible. Moreover, if the coaching search takes multiple months, the USMNT could easily lose ground with uncommitted dual nationals, hurting the player pool in the long run.

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