Pochettino Aims to Improve for 2030 World Cup

Following Pochettino's contract extension with the U.S. men's national team, Lalas emphasized that the coach's success will be judged on whether he can lead the team past the round of 16 in major tournaments. 'That final judgment will come four years from now,' Lalas said, expressing support for keeping Pochettino through the next cycle despite recent tournament shortcomings. moryak.biz

The analyst noted that winning knockout matches would shift the broader conversation surrounding American soccer. 'If this U.S. team under Mauricio Pochettino this summer had found a way to get past Belgium, all of this talk and all of this self-examination...that all goes away,' Lalas explained. The USA will need to navigate qualifying for the 2026 World Cup before the 2030 tournament.