AUSTIN, TEXAS - There was one word repeated by just about everyone around U.S. men's national team camp this week: intensity. That's the entire vibe. Last month, multiple U.S. players bemoaned the lack of effort and fiery instinct in a loss to Canada and a draw with New Zealand.
That hasn't been on display this time around.
That, of course, is all centered around one big change, and it goes by the name of Mauricio Pochettino. The new coach is finally in place, and the difference is immediately being felt. Everyone has to be on, everyone has to focused, everyone has to be ready.
That's in part because of Pochettino's arrival and the standards to which he he holds players. It's also partly driven by the players, all of whom are understandably eager to prove themselves to the man who is now judging them up close.
"[They] to try to show that and demonstrate because it’s new," Pochettino said of the increase in player energy. "They want to have a happy start with a new coaching staff and new people. But of course, we are going to start with that a lot, because we really believe that, if you want to compete at your best, you need to train trying to replicate intensity and competition."
How that intensity will manifest itself in Pochettino's first two matches is an open question - and more important, can it be sustained over the next 18 or so months in the lead up to the 2026 World Cup? That's why Pochettino is here, to answer those questions. And it all begins at 9 pm. EST Saturday night when the USMNT's Pochettino era officially kicks off against Panama.