Getty ImagesThe new era is set to begin, but what will Pochettino emphasize as he oversees his first camp as USMNT boss?
Mauricio Pochettino has had a stressful week. Not because of anything on the field, to be fair. Not even because he announced his initial squad selection.
No, it turns out that the toughest part of becoming the U.S. men's national team coach is actually getting to the United States – and the visa process isn't easy, even for world-class managers.
In recounting his travel travails this week, Pochettino said that it was only on Tuesday that "we received the visa, and we can fly Saturday. That was all such a nightmare! But then we got the visa, and now we can go. We were busy with all the paperwork, but now it's done."
And that leads to the more exciting part, the one Pochettino is looking forward to most. He arrives for his first USMNT camp on Saturday, with the players starting to arrive on Sunday.
And that's when the new era begins.
Pochettino will take charge of his first two matches in mid-October, leading the USMNT into friendlies against Panama and Mexico. These friendlies are both introductions and tone-setters. Winning is important, of course, but Pochettino is marching into these first two matches with a specific set of goals.
With his visa nightmare out of the way, Pochettino's focus is now solely on this team, but what is on his agenda? What will he be looking to accomplish during this first camp? GOAL takes a look.
