Mauricio Pochettino On Why The USMNT’s Time is Now

We’re taking you behind the scenes of the U.S. Soccer Summit in New York City with this week’s episode which features an exclusive panel interview with USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino and assistant coach Jesús Pérez hosted by FOX broadcaster Jenny Taft. 

00:15 – Intro with David Gass and Meghan Klingenberg 

04:16 – Jenny Taft interviews USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino and assistant coach Jesús Pérez 

08:49 – Mauricio Pochettino on building a “family-style” connection to American soccer 

12:45 – Jesús Pérez on the importance of his role on implementing Pochettino’s vision 

14:40 – Mauricio Pochettino on why this was the right time in his career to become USMNT head coach  

16:45 – Comparing the club experience to the national team 

18:40 – Thoughts on the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center, which will be ready in 2026 

22:15 – Pochettino’s vision and timeline for the 2026 FIFA World Cup 

27:20 – The state of the USMNT program now coming off recent wins over Paraguay and Uruguay in November  

29:00 – Managing expectations for a World Cup on home soil 

34:50 – How Pérez has seen the USMNT players grow and trust Pochettino 

36:35 – Reaction to the four matches for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s final march towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup featuring three of the world’s top 10-teams in Belgium, Portugal and Germany 

38:55 – How Mauricio Pochettino is liking America sports culture and the connection to the movie Miracle  

44:30 – Details of the FIFA World Cup Draw on Friday, Dec. 5 and U.S. Soccer’s event in the heart of Times Square in New York City 

45:30 – Ask the Pros presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts 

The U.S. Soccer Podcast is a production from U.S. Soccer hosted by David Gass, Meghan Klingenberg and Alejandro Bedoya. The podcast brings you in-depth interviews with U.S. Soccer stars of the past, present and future. Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays. 

Hosts: David Gass, Meghan Klingenberg, Jenny Taft 

Guest: Mauricio Pochettino, Jesús Perez 

Producer: Matthew Nelson 

Supervising Producer: Sandy McAfee 

Executive Producer: Michael Allardyce 

To learn more, visit http://www.ussoccer.com/podcast 

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