Can Pochettino, Aguirre breathe new life into USMNT-Mexico? - ESPN

Historically two of the biggest teams in the Concacaf region, the United States and Mexico have failed to impress in recent times. In efforts to breathe new life into their programs following their underwhelming 2024 Copa América campaigns, both countries made changes to their coaching staffs, with the U.S. hiring Mauricio Pochettino and Mexico bringing back Javier Aguirre for a third spell in charge of El Tri.

What do those appointments say about each federation's aspirations? And what are Concacaf's giants getting in their new hires? A rare friendly in Mexico between the two on Tuesday night will provide us with a first meaningful glimpse at the next chapters for the USMNT and El Tri.

Few things inspire more rose-colored optimism than that of an ambitious coaching hire.

Two months after careening out of the Copa América group stage, which led to the firing of Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. men's national team then turned a promising corner with the September introduction of Pochettino. Signing the former Chelsea manager was a clear signal of the lofty aspirations held by U.S. Soccer's power structure. It's also symbolic of the belief that the men's roster can one day become an elite side on the global scale.

«Hiring a manager like Pochettino shows that you're serious about growing the game,» said Crystal Palace's Chris Richards earlier this month. «We could have gone down the safe route by choosing a potential coach from the MLS, but I think them going for a coach that might turn them down, and going for coaches of [his] caliber is very impressive from U.S. Soccer.»

In the honeymoon era of Pochettino's tenure, and with co-hosting duties set for the 2026 World Cup, excitement is undoubtedly high among the players.

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