The gathering was about a new group of players proving themselves to their coach but, as it turns out, the man in charge had plenty to take away, tooMauricio Pochettino wasn’t going to waste this chance and, the fact is, the U.S. manager couldn’t really afford to. No matter what the outside world thinks of January camp, he could only see it as an opportunity. That opportunity didn’t just extend to his players; it extended to everyone. Yes, Pochettino included. Pochettino and the U.S. men’s national team just wrapped up their annual January camp with two lopsided wins over Venezuela and Costa Rica. On the field, it went about as well as anyone could have hoped. A combined 6-1 scoreline, multiple different goalscorers, a clear style and identity – the games were nothing short of ideal when taking into account both results and performance.This camp wasn’t just about the games, though. It was also about everything that went on outside of them. Yes, that process was huge for the players who were desperate to impress their new coach. It was even bigger for Pochettino and his staff, who, in many ways, are still getting used to life as the USMNT manager.January camp was a chance for Pochettino to live in that setting for an extended period of time. No, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson weren’t here, but, aside from the players, everyone else was. January was an opportunity for Pochettino to spend two weeks with his coaching staff, some of which he’s known for years and others of which he’s known for months. It was also a time for him to spend two weeks with everyone around a USMNT camp: folks in charge of logistics, social media, communications, and everything in between.He joked about that ongoing connection after the win over Venezuela. One of the few things he and his staff had overlooked was penalty assignments, leading to some on-field confusion about who would take the spot kick when one was awarded early on.”We clarified it at halftime, and I think you’ll all see it because we record everything,” he said with a smile. “It’ll appear on Behind the Crest!”Pochettino has familiarized himself with the USMNT’s behind-the-scenes series but still finds himself in the introductory phase of this. He’s still transitioning into his role as USMNT boss, having only had two camps prior to the one he just completed. And, because of that, January was immensely helpful for a coach who, in many ways, is still adjusting to life as the USMNT boss.”It was amazing,” Pochettino said of January camp. “We are working really well together. We try to, every time, connect and get to know each other better, and I think we are very efficient in the way that we want to work. At the same time, I think the mood of the camp was always really, really good with people that are professional, and that we try to translate to the players. The players feel that and, when the player feels that, we are a group that is very solid. Working in this way, I think, is contagious.”
