Spend sufficient time with U. S. Men’s National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino, and you will hear him repeat a couple of key phrases advert nauseam. Struggle, for one. Togetherness. Spirit. Connection.
One phrase, although, has cropped up extra usually than another: depth. It is Pochettino’s nice white whale, his obsession; take heed to him earlier than or after any USMNT sport and you will hear him deliver it up prefer it’s a very powerful factor within the universe.
Pochettino lamented the USMNT’s lack of depth throughout the staff’s March camp, evaluating the squad unfavorably to France’s and Colombia’s (who performed one another throughout the identical time interval.)
“They performed like this was the ultimate of the World Cup!” Pochettino exclaimed of the 2 sides. “And France, after they noticed the depth and the aggression of Colombia stated: ‘If we don’t play as intense, they’ll kill us.’ That’s depth.”
That is what Pochettino desires from his USMNT gamers, nevertheless it’s not precisely what he is getting. The staff struggled to show the depth dial up in opposition to Belgium and Portugal in its March friendlies, shedding 5-2 and 2-0 over the course of three days.
For a lot of USMNT followers, the reply to this lack of depth lies within the staff’s European superstars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and (absent by damage however quickly to return) Tyler Adams. Push them ahead, get them enjoying with actual chew, and the remainder will observe.
However what if the important thing to the USMNT’s depth lies a bit of nearer to dwelling?
