U.S. men's soccer begins Pochettino era with 2-0 friendly win over Panama
By the time Mauricio Pochettino left Q2 Stadium, he was saluting fans who were cheering his name after a crowd-pleasing success.
AUSTIN, Texas — Mauricio Pochettino arrived at Q2 Stadium to see posters and banners with his face around the grandstand and behind a goal.
By the time he left, he was saluting fans who were cheering his name. The 52-year-old Argentine’s debut as U.S. coach was a crowd-pleasing success.
Yunus Musah scored a 49th-minute goal off an assist from AC Milan teammate Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi added a stoppage time strike to close out 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday night.
The match in front of a near-capacity crowd of 20,239 was the first of two friendlies for the U.S. in a four-day span that includes a game against Mexico on Tuesday in Guadalajara. The Americans ended a four-game winless stretch and their first four-game home winless streak since a seven-game slide in 2010-11.
“Little by little building something. The objective is 2026,” Pochettino said. “It’s only the first step.”
Rating: 5