Successful debut. Mauricio Pochettino won his first match in charge of United States national team

Last month, Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the United States national team. After leaving Chelsea this summer and being without a job for a while, he was recently invited to lead the U.S. team and prepare them for the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine coach has already begun implementing his vision and celebrated a victory in his first match, where the U.S. faced Panama.

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Details: Today, the U.S. played a friendly against Panama at Q2 Stadium in Austin. The stadium was packed with over 20,000 spectators eager to witness the team's first match under their new coach.

The first half was fairly even but failed to deliver any goals for the fans. However, the tide turned at the beginning of the second half, when AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah opened the scoring, assisted by his club teammate Christian Pulisic.

The visitors tried to fight back, but the U.S. defense stood firm against their attacks. As the match neared its conclusion, the hosts doubled their lead in stoppage time. PSV striker Ricardo Pepi found the back of the net after an assist from Coventry City forward Haji Wright. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the United States.

After the game, Mauricio Pochettino described the U.S. team's performance as "very professional."

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Quote: "We are gradually building something. The goal is 2026. This is just the first step," Pochettino said on TNT, calling the team's display "confident."

Reminder: Mauricio Pochettino began his coaching career in 2009 and has managed teams such as Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. He left his last club, Chelsea, on May 21 by mutual consent, though poor results were likely the driving force behind his departure.

During this international break, the U.S. will play another friendly. In the early hours of Wednesday, October 16, they will travel to face Mexico.