Mauricio Pochettino kicks off new USMNT era with 'tough' and 'intense' training session

You know that old saying, the one about never getting a second chance to make a first impression?

New U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino apparently subscribes to that little pearl of wisdom, given what his new players had to say when asked how the first 48 hours under the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham manager's watchful eye has gone.

"It's intense," veteran defender Tim Ream told reporters on Tuesday, shortly after the second training of the Pochettino era wrapped up. "We had a pretty long session — I'd say one of the one of the longer ones we've had with the national team."

"It was definitely intense," said left back Antonee "Jedi" Robinson, who noted that the USMNT's European-based players had in the past usually used the first day in camp to recover from club games and the long-haul transatlantic travel.

"If you've played on Saturday, it's kind of light, you're not doing a lot," Robinson said of the old way. "Yesterday, we were kind of straight into training, and it was a tough session."

Ream and Robinson were speaking via video conference from Austin, Texas, where the Americans will meet Panama on Saturday in a friendly at Q2 Stadium — Pochettino's long-anticipated debut. The last few members of his 25-strong roster, including star forward Christian Pulisic, joined the group late Monday after playing for their clubs the day before.

Hired last month after the USMNT's humiliating 2024 Copa América performance on home soil, Pochettino's mandate is to produce a strong showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — which will also be hosted by the U.S. (along with Canada and Mexico). 

While the new boss immediately set the tone on the field, he and his recently appointed staff of assistants have