USMNT to be coached by Mikey Varas in September friendlies - source - ESPN

Former United States under-20 coach Mikey Varas will lead the U.S. men's national team on an interim basis during the upcoming September international window, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Varas will be in charge even if Mauricio Pochettino is officially named manager of the USMNT before the window, giving Pochettino time to familiarize himself with the U.S. Soccer Federation and broader American soccer landscape.

The U.S. will host Canada in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 7 and New Zealand in Cincinnati three days later in a pair of friendlies.

Previously, both The Washington Post and The Athletic reported that Varas would take over on a temporary basis.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Pochettino has agreed to succeed Gregg Berhalter as the new permanent USMNT coach.

No final agreement has been signed between the two parties, sources told ESPN, and the USSF board of directors has yet to sign off on any deal. A regular board meeting is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23, although a special meeting could be called before then to finalize the appointment, a source added.

A separate source told ESPN on Thursday that Pochettino's situation with former club Chelsea remains unresolved. He is owed money by the Premier League club and cannot sign a contract to take over the USMNT until a resolution is found.

Varas most recently served on Berhalter's staff at the Copa América, where the U.S. was eliminated in the group stage.

Before that stint, Varas was in charge of the U.S. men's U20 team from 2021 to 2023, with his side claiming the 2022 Concacaf Championship, a title that officially qualified the U.S. for the 2024 Olympic Games.

At the subsequent 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup, Varas led the U20s to the quarterfinal stage, where the team was