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The call-up of Mauricio Pochettino for the home-and-away quarter-final tie in the Concacaf Nations League between his United States national team and their Jamaica counterparts has sparked debate and given rise to much discussion among fans and pundits alike.
With a bold touch, the Argentine coach included in his list 25 players that show his commitment to diverse talent, highlighting some talents from the Liga MX over figures from Major League Soccer (MLS). And it's no small feat: Pochettino has made a choice that has surprised everyone, opting for a mix that reflects his international experience and boldness as a strategist.
The three Liga MX players in the USMNT
The selection of three players who play in Liga MX has been the big talking point. In attack, Pochettino has trusted Cade Cowell, a Chivas striker, Alejandro Zendejas from Club America and Brandon Vazquez from Monterrey. These three Mexican talents will share the field with none other than USMNT's European stars such as Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven) and Tim Weah (Juventus). With this combination, Pochettino seems to be looking for an explosive and well-balanced attack between the playing styles on both sides of the Atlantic.
However, the detail is not only about the Liga MX strikers, as his call-up has generated all sorts of questions about the impact and level of MLS. Although one might expect a call-up full of American talent from this league, the truth is that Pochettino has only included four MLS players, and two of them are goalkeepers: Patrick Schulte of Columbus Crew and Zack Steffen of Colorado Rapids. The other two players selected from this league are defenders: Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) and Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati). This detail shows the Argentine coach's commitment to an internationalised team and reflects a particular view on the players best suited to this type of competition.
Pochettino and the profile of the player called up to the USMNT
During the press conference, Pochettino emphasized that the important thing in his selection is the "desperation" and "hunger" of the players to represent their country, a philosophy that he knows well from his native Argentina. "The players have to have that desperation to come to the national team. That's what teams like Argentina have. In Argentina, the player does not choose which game he goes to: the call of the Argentine national team is enough to be desperate to be there," said the coach.
With the first leg scheduled for Thursday, November 14 in Kingston, Jamaica, and the second leg on Monday, November 18 at City Park in St. Louis, Missouri, the United States is just days away from testing the outcome of Pochettino's strategy. Will this mix of talent from Liga MX and Europe be able to overcome the always combative Jamaica? What is certain is that with this combination, the Argentine coach has made it clear that his vision goes beyond borders, and he is determined to take advantage of talent wherever he finds it, regardless of labels.