Bring on 2025: New Year's resolutions for Mauricio Pochettino, Emma Hayes, Christian Pulisic, Triple Espresso, U.S. national teams

The buildup to the 2026 World Cup is a bit complicated for the USMNT, but, realistically, the goal for 2025 is straightforward. The challenge: dominate CONCACAF.

Up first is the CONCACAF Nations League in March, with the U.S. facing Panama in the semifinals. The USMNT have traditionally been the class of the tournament, winning three straight, which means that anything less than a trophy at the end will be a disappointment. That was the bare minimum under Gregg Berhalter. For Pochettino? Losing in that tournament would be a failure, even if that standard may seem unfair.

Up next will be the Gold Cup, and it remains to be seen how the USMNT will approach it. Under Berhalter, the Gold Cup was a proving ground for young stars but, with the World Cup looming, can Pochettino afford to play anything other than his A-team? The Club World Cup will be held simultaneously, which means he could be without some regulars. That won't be an excuse, though, for a coach who wants to win everything possible.

Such standards are what Pochettino will be held to. If he's to be the coach that leads the USMNT further than ever at a World Cup, he first has to be the coach that maintains the bar in North America. There are two tournaments to win. Go win them, Mauricio.

The foundation is surely there, and it's been implemented faster than anyone could have expected. Hayes has already led the USWNT back to glory, ranked No. 1 in the world, but can she now build on that?

The pieces are very much in place. The likes of Naomi Girma, Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith have become superstars. There's a new generation of up-and-comers, too, and they're eager to claim their own place. Mix in veterans such as Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle and you have a USWNT program that has just about everything it needs to continue to dominate.

Even so, the focus has to continue to be the runway to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. This is what Hayes signed up for. The Olympics last summer were a huge bonus, but now the real work is beginning. Hayes will be eager to dig in to it and experiment as she looks to turn over this player pool and make this team even better on the road to the World Cup.

As Zlatan Ibrahimovic so eloquently said in the recent "PULISIC" documentary, "You are 'Captain America', I don’t give a sh*t what you say, you are."

Unfortunately, that's the reality Pulisic has lived in since making his breakthrough as a teenager. He hasn't always loved it, but he's always lived up to it. But, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, he'll really have to embrace the role, as the lights are only going to get brighter.

He's embracing all of it at Milan, where he's blossoming into a legitimate star. An injury derailed the final month of 2024, but Pulisic had done plenty of proving before that. He's arguably the main man in Milan now and he's unquestionably one of the stars for one of the world's biggest clubs.

For the USMNT, Pulisic continues to set the tone, too. He was fantastic in the post-Copa America friendlies and, even before that, his goal against Bolivia in the tournament was one of few high points to speak of. When wearing the USMNT shirt, Pulisic raises his level, and Pochettino knows that.

The spotlight will get brighter. The upcoming World Cup on U.S. soil will bring all sorts of new off-field opportunities and pressures, and 2025 - with two trophies on the line - will push Pulisic to be more vocal than ever before. The USMNT has their Captain America, but he's still learning how best to wield his shield. The hope is that he'll be ready for it come 2026.

The world knows their names, both individually and as a group. Now, it's time for Triple Espresso to go get the recognition they deserve.

Despite their Olympic successes, Smith, Rodman and Swanson were left off several of the major award lists. Given their achievements, it remains hard to believe. There are some incredible attackers out there, it is true, but this trio is right up there among the very best.

To get that recognition, they'll clearly have to keep proving it. One tournament is not enough - even as impressive as the were in the Paris Games. All three have the potential to be legitimate USWNT legends, but those who came before them have enormous resumes.

For Triple Espresso, 2025 is about continuing to write their own stories. Add more goals to your record. Go win more games. Continue to create moments, individually and together, that make their mark. This group is just getting started, and they still have more work to do.

Here we are again. Another year, another Gio Reyna transfer discussion - and the reason is that it was never properly addressed in 2024.

Reyna is still at Borussia Dortmund. He is still not really playing. Even after scoring a stunner recently, the reward wasn't there, which essentially means that that goal didn't change much. So, again, Reyna faces the question: now what?

Nottingham Forest wasn't the right call in January 2024. It became clear relatively quickly, too. Forest had no real motivation to play Reyna, who sat the bench in England instead of Germany to close the 2023-24 season. Injuries have slowed his progress to start this campaign but, now healthy, Reyna needs to play, wherever that may be.

His team is surely figuring that out now. Reyna has to be weighing his options. Is there a realistic path at Dortmund and, even if there is, is that the best course of action? Regardless, Reyna needs to get it right. He's running out of time to waste.

In a way, 2024 will have defied Shaw's wildest expectations. In others, it will have seemed something of a letdown. Shaw looked poised for an Olympic breakout and, while that tournament ended with a gold medal, it was also one that Shaw didn't play in due to injury.

Just 20, Shaw has time, of course. She is an elite prospect, and Hayes will make her better. There are so many reasons to believe in Shaw, and there are equally as many to believe that Hayes will find a way to make her a superstar.

Shaw's role now is to stay the course. Keep making the most of USWNT minutes. Continue to evolve as a force in the NWSL. For Shaw, 2025 is about taking the leap from young player to star. Can she do it now or will it happen in 2026? Either way, it seems inevitable.

This is for everyone, from superstars at the top to those grinding at the very lowest levels of American soccer. The game is about to change, and it'll take multiple contributors to make that happen in the summer of 2026.

Everyone is playing their part. The USMNT is preparing for the moment by making waves with players at the club level in Europe. The USWNT have already made their mark by winning Olympic gold. MLS and the NWSL continue to grow and evolve. Youth development has never been better. In general, there's never been more excitement or passion than there is right now.

In one sense, that's something for everyone involved to enjoy. This is the deep breath before the big plunge, which happens when the world arrives for a show in 2026. So many have gotten in on the ground floor, and welcoming the newcomers will be just as important for the sport's growth. American soccer is in for a fun ride and the foundation will be put in place for all involved starting in 2025.