Silver Linings: Christian Pulisic’s importance, tactical tweaks and key conclusions from Mauricio Pochettino’s first USMNT camp

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Despite the resounding thud in which his first camp concluded, Mauricio Pochettino cracked a smile at a few points following the U.S. men’s national team’s loss to Mexico Tuesday night. He was frustrated, yes. he was disappointed in a 2-0 result that was always one-way, one that also snapped the USMNT’s seven-game unbeaten streak against their CONCACAF rivals.

As a coach, though, he could take some pleasure in it. Well, if not pleasure, then at least he unearthed the upside. They say you learn more from losses than you do wins, and Pochettino got one of each in his first window.

“For me, it feels great to them to compete because the circumstances were tough for us,” he said after the match, “but I feel so happy with everyone that was involved…I’m happy. Of course, it was good to see players compete and we can only learn from it.

“We lose, of course, in Mexico. We wanted to win, but, this type of game – we need to play more games like this to improve.”

Despite the Mexico result – which, in fairness, featured a U.S. side depleted by injuries and players released back to their clubs, including the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie – the USMNT did show positive signs in their 2-0 opening win against Panama.

It’s only been 10 days since Pochettino first gathered his inaugural U.S. squad in Austin, Texas, so it’s understandable that he hasn’t fully put his stamp on this team. Even so, there were signs of optimism in that first game. This camp had it’s share of both dark clouds and silver linings.

What did we learn from this first window? What will Pochettino take away from his first camp in charge of the USMNT? GOAL takes a look.

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  Pochettino’s tactical tweaks

  Pochettino promised that he wouldn’t introduce “chaos” to the USMNT with his selections or his tactics. He stayed true to his word. He didn’t burn it all down day one. That’s not to say that he didn’t make some significant tactical tweaks, though.

  The most noticeable of those adjustments came against Panama, as Pochettino shifted Yunus Musah to a right-wingback role. He’d played in a similar spot for Valencia, and Musah was lifted by the confidence that Pochettino walked into camp knowing just that.

  “I can see he knows a lot about my background. He knows about my academy days, playing at Valencia – everything,” Musah said. “That’s why today I played wide because he knows I used to play wide as well so it’s nice that a coach knows about me, has a lot of faith in me.”

  Musah, of course, delivered a goal from that position, but that wasn’t the only major modification. Joe Scally played as a third centerback, which he’s done at Borussia Monchengladbach. Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson, meanwhile, tucked inside more, playing more as dual 10s than as wingers.

  Against Mexico, those adjustments were clearly less effective, largely because Pochettino was missing so many key pieces. Even so, it’s clear that Pochettino is ready to experiment as he looks to figure out how to put this team together on the run up to the 2026 World Cup.

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    Pulisic more important than ever

    Christian Pulisic has been the star of the USMNT basically since he first walked through the door. Even as a teenager, the pressure was immediate, and throughout his national team career, he has – at times begrudgingly – established himself as the face of this team and this program.

    If possible, he’s actually even more than that now. He’s always been the USMNT’s best player, but, in this kind of form – both for club and country – it’s almost impossible to fathom Pochettino’s squad accomplishing any of its goals without him.

    Pulisic teed up Musah’s goal in the Panama game, bringing his incredible form from Milan right back to the United States. After that match, he jetted back to Milan, though, as Pochettino admitted that his star needed rest.

    And the consequences were clear. The lack of Pulisic was far from the only problem in the Mexico match – a loss that dropped the USMNT’s all-time record in games vs. El Tri in Mexico to 1-24-4 – but it was the primary factor. Without their superstar on the field, the USMNT attack was lost.

    Pulisic has elevated his game to a truly special level. This is Gareth Bale for Wales, Heung-min Son for South Korea, Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden-level stuff. Pulisic has pieces around him on the USMNT, but in this form, he’s more important than ever.

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    Depth is an issue

    With any team, there’s a fall-off from starters to backups. That’s why the starters are starters and the backups are backups.

    The drop-off with the USMNT feels steeper than ever, though. Mexico exposed just how unprepared the USMNT’s second-string is for playing under the bright lights.

    We knew it would be tough. Despite Mexico’s recent struggles, the USMNT’s youngsters were still asked to step into a raucous environment in Guadalajara against a heated rival. Few will leave the city feeling that they really did anything to help their case.

    With Tyler Adams and McKennie out, Gianluca Busio and Aidan Morris were swarmed in midfield. No Folarin Balogun meant Josh Sargent started up top, and he hardly got a touch. Brenden Aaronson struggled with physicality, while Miles Robinson – a last-minute starter – didn’t exactly prove he should be at the top of the centerback leaderboard.

    When fully healthy and available, the USMNT has a group that can go toe-to-toe with some of the world’s stronger teams. When not fully healthy, though, the USMNT looked like a shell of itself, even with Pochettino trying to work his tactical magic.

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    Mexico is still a challenge

    Since this generation of USMNT players broke through, Mexico has largely been a team they swept aside. Over the last five years, the U.S. had gone unbeaten against their southern rivals, winning three cup finals to seal an era of USMNT dominance.

    That dominance is not guaranteed, however, and this depleted roster learned that the hard way in Guadalajara.

    “I think it gives, gives a good idea that, if we’re not on top of our game, then results like this can happen,” said captain Tim Ream, one of the few American players in the pool that had ever previously lost to Mexico. “You learn a lot more from these types of games than not having tasted defeat in – what is it, seven games? Either way, I wouldn’t exactly call it a wake-up call, but I think it’s more of ‘OK, this is what it feels like,’ and now we have to make sure that we don’t have that taste and that feeling moving forward again.”

    Let this serve as a reminder that, no matter the coach, these games are challenging, as are all away games in CONCACAF. When playing on the road, the USMNT always encounters hungry, motivated teams and – if the U.S. is lacking in intensity, physicality or player availability – they will be exposed.

    Since mid-September, the USMNT has now lost friendlies to both Canada and Mexico, a frustrating fact for anyone in this program. Now, it’s up to this group to look at those results and build from them, having relinquished the crown of this region’s top team – at least temporarily.
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    Rome wasn’t built in a day

    There were those that expected Pochettino to step into this team and immediately work magic. Particularly after a victorious debut against Panama, the expectations soared.

    Part of that was excitement, part of it was naivety.

    The fact is this: the team is going to be better under Pochettino. Right now, though? This is merely the start of the process.

    “Listen, doesn’t matter who the manager is, there’s always work to do,” Ream said, “and I think that’s that’s been the message: there’s working hard, and then there’s working harder. We’ve done a lot of that over the past 10 days and, listen, this isn’t a finished group. It’s not ever a finished product.”

    Even after this first camp, it’s still hard to fully judge Pochettino’s impact. This group was lacking so many players – in both matches, but especially against Mexico – that will be so important to this team going forward. We still don’t know what Pochettino will do with Weah, Balogun, Adams or McKennie – just to name four – simply because he hasn’t had a chance to coach them.

    Ultimately, of course, Pochettino isn’t building a team to win right now – he’s building one to win in 2026. There will be some bumps along the way. He has said that he wants to win every game. He won’t. Due to scheduling, availability and experimentation – among other factors – progress won’t be a straight line.

    As long as that line continues to trend upward, though, there is reason for optimism. Pochettino’s first camp is over, and we’ll learn even more about this team when it reconvenes in November for Nation’s League play. On Nov. 14, the U.S. will face Jamaica in Kingston. Four days later, the USMNT will play again in St. Louis.

    There are silver linings, much to examine and build upon, and many points still to prove from this first Pochettino camp. The U.S. split its first two matches under its new manager, and now the their bigger tests are still ahead.