Pulisic Ready to ‘Turn the Page’ Under Pochettino with USMNT

Christian Pulisic expressed frustration following the final whistle, underscoring the challenges ahead for newly appointed coach Mauricio Pochettino. Nevertheless, he held an optimistic view, believing that better days are on the horizon for the U.S. Men’s National Team. In a friendly match against New Zealand on Tuesday night, the Americans settled for a 1-1 draw due to a defensive lapse in the 89th minute, just as the U.S. Soccer Federation had announced Pochettino’s hire to lead the team to the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s time to turn the page, and we really have to pick it up a level,” Pulisic remarked. “Everyone is part of this, and it feels pretty low right now, but I know there’s better times ahead.”

Interim coach Mikey Varas managed the team again, following the dismissal of Gregg Berhalter after a disappointing Copa América campaign that ended with a first-round exit. The U.S. had just suffered a 2-1 defeat to Canada, marking their first loss to the Canadians on home soil since 1957, which added to the team’s frustrations.

Pulisic managed to put the United States ahead in the 69th minute, scoring just 12 minutes after coming onto the field. With his goal, he surpassed Brian McBride, rising to fifth on the all-time U.S. scoring list with 31 international goals. However, a mishap by Caleb Wiley and Mark McKenzie allowed New Zealand’s Ben Waine to equalize in the late moments of the game.

This result leaves the U.S. winless in their last four matches, and they have also gone four consecutive games without a home win—a troubling stretch not seen since 2010-11.

Pochettino is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, preparing to take the helm just in time for upcoming exhibition matches against Panama on October 12 in Austin, Texas, and a follow-up match at Mexico three days later.

“Everybody is excited for this next chapter,” Varas stated. “He brings tremendous quality. I’m proud that we moved the program forward a little bit, and Mauricio coming on board is going to accelerate that progression. I really believe good things are ahead for us.”

Pulisic’s goal came following a well-executed sequence involving 11 passes, orchestrated by teammates Chris Richards, McKenzie, Aidan Morris, Marlon Fossey, Luca de la Torre, Ricardo Pepi, and Folarin Balogun. After receiving a pass from Pepi, Pulisic skillfully maneuvered the ball, finishing with an angled left-foot shot that eluded New Zealand’s defender Bill Tuiloma and goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

The equalizer from New Zealand was unintentional chaos, starting with a long pass from Nando Pijnaker. The ball deflected off Logan Rogerson’s foot, and Wiley’s attempt for a headed clearance inadvertently centralized the ball towards McKenzie. In another failed clearance attempt, McKenzie struck the ball, which ricocheted off Waine and sailed over goalkeeper Matt Turner, who was caught out of position.

After nearly 10 minutes of stoppage time, Turner, making his first appearance in ten weeks, stood with frustration evident on his face as Pulisic glared at the pitch after the final whistle.

Pepi, who was one of six changes in the lineup, appeared to have given the U.S. an early lead in the 19th minute, deftly toe-poking the ball into the net with a pass from Fossey, who debuted for the national team following his 26th birthday. However, the goal was ruled out after Honduran referee Selvin Brown consulted with an assistant and determined that Pepi had fouled defender Liberato Cacace prior to scoring.

This match marked the seventh time in eight games that no MLS players were in the starting lineup. Since the full squad became available after the 2022 World Cup, only eight of 209 starting spots have been filled by MLS players.

Pulisic anticipates that Pochettino will bring significant changes to the team dynamics. “Hopefully, he will cultivate a culture that is willing to fight and take risks,” said Pulisic. “There’s a lot that needs to change, especially the mentality and culture within the group. We have the quality, and I hope that’s the first thing he plans to address.”

Source: Associated Press