Poch Expected to Improve for 2030 World Cup

FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas has shared his perspective on the U.S. men's national team under Mauricio Pochettino heading toward the 2030 World Cup. Following the announcement of Pochettino's contract extension, Lalas emphasized that the coach's success will be judged on advancing beyond the round of 16, particularly against teams like Belgium in knockout stages. 'Where he is again going to be judged is if he is going to get us to that rarefied air and that promised land,' Lalas stated on his podcast. afnews.co.za

Looking ahead, Lalas expressed support for keeping Pochettino for the upcoming cycle, which includes competitions such as the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup. 'I think Mauricio Pochettino is fine. I think that he will be a better coach this cycle than he was last cycle,' Lalas said, while stressing the importance of keeping him through the next tournament where the USA will need to go through the qualifying process.