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Pochettino’s first USMNT away win was an improvement – barely
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Pochettino’s first USMNT away win was an improvement – barely

In terms of quality, there was little to distinguish the nature of the US national team’s 1-0 win over Jamaica on Thursday night from many previous uneven matches on Concacaf’s tour.

Ricardo Pepi’s fifth-minute opener was certainly an ideal start to the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final. But Mauricio Pochettino’s side spent much of the evening in “The Office” chasing the match. And when the final whistle blew, Pochettino had Matt Turner’s penalty save in the first half and Mason Holgate’s stunning miss in the second half to thank for his first away win in the region.

But as mundane as the performance was, apart from the early tone that led to Turner’s denial of Demarai Gray’s penalty, the evening was refreshingly free of self-inflicted wounds. And that gave it a different feel than the recent journeys under former manager Gregg Berhalter, who won just once in the Concacaf competition during his entire four-year tenure.

In case you don’t remember, a year ago in Trinidad and Tobago it was Sergino Dest who was sent off in a second leg quarter-final defeat, marring a two-leg aggregate victory.

World Cup qualifying in Canada saw lax defending against the Americans’ own goal kick, resulting in a stunningly simple Cyle Larin opener after seven minutes in the US’s 2-0 defeat. Earlier in the same WCQ cycle in Panama, it was Turner’s failure to collect from his own six-yard box that gave the Canaleros their decisive goal from a corner in a 1–0 win.

On Thursday it was Jamaica that finally imploded as Holgate received his second booking and forced the home side to play the end of the match with 10 men. And while it’s far from certain that Pochettino deserves credit for a cleaner – if still uneven – win, it’s worth considering.

From the moment Berhalter was hired for the American job, one of the biggest questions was whether he would get it too detailed oriented for the international game. International managers’ work with their players comes in short bursts during international windows and short tournaments. That makes it harder to install the tactical complexities that Berhalter’s clubs excelled at.

From the outside, there were signs that Berhalter’s teams might be overloaded with information.

There was a tendency to put together the worst performances early in a given time, regardless of whether the stage was an international friendly or the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That could be due to a steeper learning curve on the tactical side each time the American players left their clubs and arrived for international duty.

And while it may seem otherwise, making the simple mistakes that have cost America’s away games in the recent past can often be the result of trying to do too much or process too much information, leaving basic details in the background .

Pochettino also fulfills his first international management role. But with a shorter window to get this group ready for the 2026 World Cup than Berhalter was given, the Argentine has clearly opted for a more pragmatic approach, and one in which the pace and feel of the game emulates the transition-oriented USMNT sides of previous reflect eras under Bruce Arena. and Bob Bradley.

At times, Arena and Bradley could lead the US to a dominant away win. More often, they achieved results through the similar blueprint of opportunism and avoiding hurting themselves.

Of course, you might wonder whether away form even matters in this current World Cup cycle. How well the Americans can handle the slippery field conditions in Kingston, the predatory crowds of San Pedro Sula and the altitude of Mexico City will have no impact on their 2026 World Cup as tournament co-hosts and automatic qualifiers. Every match they play in the tournament is played in front of the home support, and in world-class stadium and pitch conditions.

But perhaps watching Thursday night’s game will give us an idea of ​​how bright this group can be. In that context it was promising, even if there was plenty for Pochettino’s charges to improve.