A huge swing for USMNT: Winners and losers as Mauricio Pochettino officially takes over

Matt Crocker's job wasn't supposed to be so focused on picking head coaches but, if you look at his last two hires, U.S. Soccer's technical director is smashing it out of the park.

Yes, his decision to bring back Berhalter ended up biting the USMNT big time, but Crocker took big swings with his next two hires. First up was Emma Hayes, widely seen as the best coach in the world on the women's side. The world saw what that meant for the U.S. women's national team, who claimed an Olympic gold medal just weeks after Hayes joined the team. It was a huge decision due to the wait required to get Hayes in. It was worth it.

Pochettino hire has also required patience. This process dragged on longer than anyone would have hoped, Crocker most of all. But, in the end, U.S. Soccer got their guy, and he's one hell of a coach.

The ex-Tottenham manager is one of the elite and, by most measures, is the most ambitious hire in USMNT history. Crocker convinced one of the brightest minds in the sport to coach the USMNT. This is exactly the type of jolt this program needed ahead of the World Cup.

Will Pochettino match Hayes' impact? That's just about impossible. However, the arrival of the Argentine is a program-defining move that illustrates the ambition of U.S. Soccer. Give Crocker credit for that, as he's the one who pulled it off.

There are enough problems to go around at Chelsea, but, they sure did come out looking bad in all of this.

Much of the holdup was reportedly due to the terms of Pochettino's Chelsea exit. Because of those contractual complexities, the deal between the USMNT and Pochettino was never quite clear-cut. There was always a third party involved that complicated this union.

It eventually got solved, but it took time, which is of the essence for the USMNT. Due to the complicated negotiations, Pochettino missed out on September friendlies, losing two chances to lead this team on the road to 2026.

So you can't blame American fans for being a bit frustrated with Chelsea, who made this process just a little bit more painful and drawn out than it had to be.

When a new coach comes in, the slate gets wiped clean. That counts double for Pochettino, who walks into the USMNT with no real connection to American soccer.

Because of that, all of the U.S. players are starting from the same place and spots have suddenly opened up for rising stars.

Youngsters like Aidan Morris, Kevin Paredes, Tanner Tessmann and Cade Cowell will look at the situation and see very real paths towards playing time. All have had tastes of life with the USMNT, but none have quite sealed a role. That can all change soon.

If they do seal those roles, they'll get the chance to learn from one of the brightest minds in the game. Pochettino is the type of coach who makes his players better, and that has a huge ripple effect that will change these players' careers for both club and country.

Every young player in the pool should be thrilled with the hire. It could be one that changes the trajectory of their careers forever.

There's a flipside to the above point. If youngsters are given a chance to compete for jobs, that means that some jobs are now opening up. Roles that were once secure under Gregg Berhalter are very much up for grabs.

Berhalter had his favorites, as all coaches do. He was determined to build around a core and, at the Copa America, that core let him down. Now everyone save for Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson is on watch. No one is safe anymore.

Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are very much competing in the midfield. Tim Ream will really have to hold off father time to stay at centerback. The goalkeeper position is totally up for grabs, while players like Tim Weah and Sergino Dest will have to prove themselves, too, once healthy.

Just because you were a starter in 2022 doesn't mean you will be in 2026. Under Berhalter, that message got muddled a bit. Now, Pochettino will make it loud and clear. There's no more room for error for the guys who have been at the forefront through these recent failures.

Pochettino is known for getting the most out of his players. He's also known for managing some world-class players, particularly in the attacking positions.

Under Pochettino's watch, Harry Kane turned into a superstar, scoring goal after goal to become a Premier League legend. Heung-min Son took a leap, too, emerging as a star in his own right. Last season, Nicolas Jackson admitted that Pochettino was hugely helpful at Chelsea as he found a new gear.

"He told Harry the same thing he is telling me: just continue, you miss but later it will be easy when you start to improve and get experience," Jackson told talkSPORT. "He is helping me a lot and all the players in the team. We fight for him and the team."

Under Berhalter, the USMNT never got the most out of their striker. The position was a mess leading up to and during the 2022 World Cup. It's in a better place now with players like Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent vying for a starting spot.

Balogun is the best equipped to win that spot given his potential. His playstyle never really fit under Berhalter, though. Pochettino will find new ways to get him the ball and, more importantly, new ways to put him into position to score. From there, as Jackson says, every miss will be a lesson, and those lessons will be crucial on the road to 2026.

There was a point in which Pochettino was a top candidate to replace Gareth Southgate at England. It didn't work out. The USMNT won the race to sign him, leaving England with their own interim manager. That may work out for all parties but one has to wonder what a Poch-led England team would look like.

The Three Lions weren't the only ones to miss out on him. The international break may have saved the USMNT, as Manchester United's early-season struggles could very well lead to a vacancy soon at Manchester United. Erik ten Hag is on thin ice and, with another loss or two, that ice will melt. Pochettino has long been speculated as a candidate at Old Trafford... if the U.S. negotiations dragged on a little longer, could Man Utd have swooped in?

We'll never know - fortunately for the USMNT. There were plenty of other potential landing spots for Pocehttino, but he committed and stayed the course. American soccer will almost certainly be much better for it.