Folarin Balogun and Sebastian Berhalter speak out on Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT impact and future
· Yahoo Sports
As things stand, it is widely expected that after little more than two years in charge of the U.S. Men’s National Team, head coach Mauricio Pochettino is set to move back to the Premier League to take charge of a wayward Manchester United.
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While neither U.S. Soccer, United, nor Pochettino have yet confirmed this, it is believed that the 54-year-old will remain with the USMNT for the duration of their ongoing camp, including their two upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final games against Haiti, before jetting off to Manchester.
And while the U.S. players are fully aware of what is being reported, it appears that they are equally unaware of whether or not Pochettino’s time in charge is coming to a swift end for certain.
Balogun confirmed that the players have yet to find out if Pochettino's supposedly impending move to Manchester United is a sure thing -Credit:Alex Livesey - FIFA/FIFA via Getty ImagesSpeaking with reporters on Thursday, striker Folarin Balogun said, “Obviously, we see everything that's being written online as something we can't avoid as players.
“But, me speaking personally, I don't know if it's true, if it's not, if it's confirmed. My only focus is just to come into practice and prepare for the games. And I'm sure if it is something that does become official, he'll let us know as soon as possible.”
This sentiment was echoed by midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of Pochettino’s predecessor Gregg, who commented, “We're focused on going against Haiti twice. They're a good team. And I think you saw that World Cup. They surprised people. So that's our main focus. And yeah, I think the group is ready to play these games.”
Should this camp prove Pochettino’s last with the USMNT, despite having signed a four-year deal following this past summer’s FIFA World Cup where they were knocked out by Belgium in the Round of 16, the impact the former Tottenham Hotspur boss has had will seemingly stick around.
“Personally, on the field and off the field, he's done a lot for me,” Berhalter said. “And, I think from day one, he's always believed in me before I set foot on the field.
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“I think just the way I play and the way that I try to carry myself. I think he just said, ‘Doesn't matter what you're doing on the field, these are already the right things.’ And to be honest, I can't thank him enough for - regardless if he's the coach, [or] not the coach.
“And I think I say it every time that he's meant so much to me. And he's helped me develop as a player and as a person. And as a player, that's all you can ask for, to have that trust and have that belief in you. And for me, it's easy to go out there and just do my job. So he's meant a good deal to me, for sure.”
From a broader perspective, both Balogun and Berhalter praised the “standard” and “environment” Pochettino has established within the USMNT, with the latter suggesting that some of the Argentine’s fire has enhanced their own pride to represent the Stars and Stripes.
“I think we all know what we're expected and we're always working 100%, we're always fighting, we're always doing the little things to make sure we're representing this country in the right way,” he said.
“And I think 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 it speaks volumes of who he is as a person and as a coach.”
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The Middlesbrough star went on to note that regardless of whether or not Pochettino sticks around, he does not anticipate any of this will change moving forward.
“I think the benefit and the blessing when you have a great coach is you know the standard,” AS Monaco's Balogun later said. “I think Poch has definitely raised the standard since he's been in charge. I think you guys have seen that just the intensity of training, how we approach games, he's changed our way of thinking as players from calling the friendlies that we have in certain camps - official games [or] not official games.
“He wants us to just be of a mindset to go out there and win. I think he's laid the foundation, and I think us as players have that ownership to not just do that because Poch was in charge, I think we have the ownership as players to carry that out because we know the standard.
“So yeah, I think that's the benefit of having a top coach. And I'm sure, whether he's here, whether he's not, the U.S. will look to replace him with another top coach.”
Exactly who could replace Pochettino remains to be seen, although it has been reported that U.S. Soccer is keen to attempt to lure Pep Guardiola out of his break from coaching.