AFPThe new USMNT head coach made the most of his first impressions in the job in front of an expectant press corps
NEW YORK – Mauricio Pochettino got it right immediately. The first question asked at his introductory press conference – a celebratory thing – the Argentine head coach called it soccer.
“I’m impressed that you remembered to call it soccer,” USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone added with a laugh.
And it wasn’t the only chuckle of the hour-long event. Tucked away on the 24th floor of Hudson Yards in New York City, before the bright lights of a deceptively large auditorium, the United States Soccer Federation curated a jovial atmosphere.
Journalists, officials, and, of course, Pochettino, gathered for an hour of good vibes and at times shameless platitudes. But after nearly two years of negativity around the program, one thing shone through: hope.
