USA Players Laud Pochettino Amid Manchester United Links: ‘I Can’t Thank Him Enough’

As of early Thursday morning, USA coach Mauricio Pochettino still hadn’t spoken to the American players about what now seems like his inevitable departure for Manchester United following the firing of Michael Carrick earlier in the day. That doesn’t mean those players aren’t fully aware of what’s going on. For as they fielded questions from media members before training at U.S. Soccer’s sprawling training center two days before opening their two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Haiti, Folarin Balogun and Sebastian Berhalter — key members of the squad Pochettino took to the round of 16 on home soil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — looked to be confronting the national team’s new reality in real time. “I can’t thank him enough,” said Berhalter, whose father, Gregg, Pochettino replaced at the U.S. helm a little more than two years ago. The younger Berhalter hadn’t played a minute of international soccer at that point. A string of stellar performances for the Vancouver Whitecaps later, Poch called him up for the 2025 Gold Cup and then played him in all five games at the World Cup, where the 25-year-old scored in the group stage finale against Türkiye. “He’s meant so much to me and helped me develop as a player and as a person.” According to Balogun, the same can be said of the U.S. program as a whole. “Poch has definitely raised the standard since he’s been in charge,” said the striker, who led the U.S. with three goals in four World Cup appearances, including game-winners over Paraguay and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The intensity of training, how we approach games — he’s changed our way of thinking as players. “He’s laid the foundation,” Balogun continued. “I think we have the ownership as players to carry that on.” “We’re always fighting, always doing little things to make sure we’re representing this country in the right way,” Berhalter added. “He really instilled that in us. Even though he’s an Argentinian coach, he made us even more proud to be American. And I think that speaks volumes of who he is as a person and as a coach.” While nothing is official yet, that’s part of the reason that they’ll be sorry to see him go. “If I had a vote, I would like to keep things the way they are,” Balogun said. “Things have been working well. We have a clear sense of identity. We have a clear playing style, and I think whenever you have a top coach, you’d want them to stay. It’s a no-brainer.” Who will replace Pochettino isn’t. While Pep Guardiola is the dream candidate, he might not be interested just six months after leaving Manchester City. There are pros and cons associated with just about anyone else. Balogun remains optimistic about the team’s direction regardless. “I’m sure,” he said, “that the U.S. will look to replace him with another good coach.”