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USMNT 1-1GOAL

Business as usual, but for how long? Mauricio Pochettino's Manchester United links leave USMNT racing against time ahead of Haiti clash

Pochettino was all smiles at USMNT training, but a potential Manchester United move leaves an urgent question: who will lead the U.S. against Haiti?

Ryan Tolmich

  • FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- As the rumors of a possible move to Manchester United continued to swirl on social media, U.S. Men's National Team manager Mauricio Pochettino emerged onto the training field at the Arthur M. Blank US Soccer National Training Center. He hugged U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson, put his arm around Cavan Sullivan and greeted Malik Tillman. Then, he gathered players and staff in a circle for a quick meeting before training began.

    The subject of the meeting wasn't Manchester United; it was the day's session. Pochettino's gathering was used to introduce three U.S. U20 players spending the day with the team in training. It was not used to say goodbye.

    But that's looking more and more likely to happen in the coming days. Manchester United are reportedly set to get their man and, consequently, U.S. Soccer looks set to lose theirs. Yet, Wednesday's training session at the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center wouldn't have indicated anything was out of the ordinary.

    Pochettino, for now, remains the USMNT's coach. It does, however, remain to be seen how long that remains true.

  • The latest rumors

    imago-sport-1085847752.jpg
    IMAGO / APL

    Michael Carrick's time as Man Utd manager appears to be coming to an end.

    If reports out of England are to be believed, it could all go down on Thursday. Manchester United brass met in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss the future of their club. Their takeaway? Change was needed. Michael Carrick is set to be out, and Pochettino is set to come in.

    Still, there are moving parts and, from a U.S. Soccer perspective, those parts are moving an ocean away. Before Manchester United can hire Pochettino, they must officially open up their coaching vacancy. It's expected that that will happen on Thursday in a rather unceremonious sacking of club legend Carrick.

  • A normal day outside of Atlanta

    USA Training And Media Availability - FIFA World Cup 2026
    Getty Images Sport

    USMNT training proceeded as expected on Wednesday.

    Weston McKennie, who arrived on Tuesday, was welcomed in for his first training session and was the subject of much of U.S. Soccer's social content for the day as a result, even as the conversation on those platforms focused more and more on the coach's future.

    Meanwhile, Pochettino was all smiles. As his players trained, Pochettino stood in a familiar place alongside longtime assistant Jesus Perez surveying the field. He popped over to watch the goalkeepers work with coaches Toni Jimenez and Jack Robinson at one point. If his mind was elsewhere, it was hard to tell as he seemed dialed in on those in camp with the U.S.

    As for the U20 call-ups? The session began with the huddle that welcomed goalkeeper Kayne Rizvanovich, Pedro Guimares and Jaidyn Contreras for the day. The three are in camp for an ongoing U.S. U20 camp that could end up tying in to the senior team camp much more than expected.

  • The coaching situation

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    Icon Sportswire

    Cherundolo is among the coaches who could coach against Haiti.

    In terms of process, again, Manchester United first needs to formally make a change. Reports say that terms have been agreed between the club and the coach, but U.S. Soccer remains a third party. All involved would still need to sort out a buyout, which is around $10 million for Pochettino and an extra $2 million for his staff, many of whom have been alongside him since his days at Espanyol. If Pochettino goes, it's almost certain that his staff goes with him.

    That fact is one complicating factor. Should the move be finalized, there is no obvious assistant left behind to take over and leave the team. Perez, for example, would be crucial in establishing the foundations in Manchester in his role as Pochettino's right-hand man. Where Pochettino goes, Perez usually goes, too.

    So who could step in? U-23 boss Steve Cherundolo would make sense, but he's leading his team through a camp in Spain at the moment. Theoretically, the former LAFC boss and longtime USMNT right-back could be on a plane back in time to arrive and lead the team.

    U-20 boss Gonzalo Segares is in Atlanta, but has never coached a game at the senior level before. The U.S. are set to face Haiti on Saturday. That's a short turnaround given the lack of coaches immediately available.

    That is surely being discussed at U.S. Soccer headquarters, but, at the moment, the timeline is, at best, a bit murky.

  • The coming days

    United States Training in St. Paul
    Getty Images Sport

    The ball is in Manchester United's court, but the timeline is still relatively unclear

    The USMNT will train on Thursday and Friday. On the morning of the latter, Pochettino is set to speak to the press for his pregame press conference. It remains to be seen whether that press conference is a hello to Haiti, a goodbye to the USMNT, or both. Manchester United or not, Pochettino could still very well take charge of these games. Perhaps he stays while one of his assistants goes to Manchester to start building. Given the current situation, U.S. Soccer could need him for two more games that are very much official matches in the CONCACAF Nations League.

    Manchester United are in quite a situation, too. Players who return from the international break will arrive in a race against time before the club faces Liverpool next weekend. Whether it's Pochettino, Perez, Carrick or someone else, whoever is preparing the Red Devils faces a monumental task, especially given the recent results.

    Time is of the essence, then, and the ball is very much in Manchester United's court. All the USMNT can do in the meantime is wait and work as normal for as long as normal remains a thing.