What to watch for as USMNT finish out brutal summer against New Zealand and Mauricio Pochettino wait continues

An international break that was designed to maintain homeostasis for the U.S. men’s national team has instead offered fresh disappointment in a summer marred by poor performances, the latest coming in the team’s 2-1 loss to Canada on Saturday.

As a result, Tuesday’s match against New Zealand comes with the onus for the team to finally deliver some long overdue optimism, especially after interim head coach Mikey Varas admitted to the team’s wide variety of mistakes against Canada. While he took responsibility for the tactical failures of the game, including the errors that allowed Canada to take a 2-0 lead, Varas questioned the players’ mentality on Saturday, a comment he attempted to walk back in pre-match comments on Monday.

Regardless of Varas’ stance on the players’ commitment, the result leaves a sour taste in the month that was already loomed large after the USMNT’s earlier-than-expected group stage exit at the Copa America. The players had already described the objective of this international break as putting this summer’s disappointment behind them, which feels especially relevant as U.S. Soccer aims to finally hire Mauricio Pochettino as the team’s new head coach this week in the hopes of charting a very ambitious path to the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Here’s what to watch for as the USMNT close out the September international break against New Zealand.

How to watch and odds

• Date: Tuesday, Sep. 10 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: TQL Stadium — Cincinnati, Ohio
• TV: TNT  | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
• Odds: United States -325; Draw +360; New Zealand +800

Fresh faces

By design, an international break led by an interim head coach tasked with overseeing games against teams ranked below 30 is not supposed to deliver anything revolutionary, something Varas seems well aware of. The most exciting thing about the September friendlies, though, is that a few new faces cracked the roster, and perhaps the lone positive out of Saturday’s loss to Canada was that some even got the chance to start.

Five starters on Saturday were not amongst the regulars in the lineup during the USMNT’s ill-fated Copa America run, some faring better than others. Johnny Cardoso was unable to cement himself as a contender for a starting spot in midfield, which has felt unsettled for the better part of two years, but goalkeeper Patrick Schulte offered some renewed competition in goal. Ex-head coach Gregg Berhalter picked Turner in the buildup to the 2022 World Cup and stuck by him amidst inconsistent performances and a lack of playing time at the club level, but Schulte’s start after competing for the U-23 at the Olympics suggests that the battle for the starting spot in 2026 is officially on.

That position will be a big area of focus when the lineups drop on Tuesday, especially since there’s another noteworthy contender in the mix — Turner’s longtime understudy, Ethan Horvath. Varas will have the chance to tinker with the midfield again in the hopes of finding a winning formula, while the outside back positions are a question mark this month with Antonee Robinson getting a well-deserved break and Sergino Dest recovering from the ACL tear he sustained in the spring.

Mentality check

While Varas admitted he has tactical fixes to make in time for New Zealand, his observation that the players’ mentality was a contributing factor to their loss against Canada is arguably just as worrying as their technical errors. It is especially concerning since this was also a topic of conversation following the USMNT’s Copa America exit, when veteran defender Tim Ream admitted that “the intensity falls through the cracks,” per Univision.

This talking point will not go away on its own, nor will it become irrelevant after just one performance during a friendly in which the USMNT are the favorites to win. Tuesday’s game against New Zealand, though, offers a chance to actually correct course for a group that says they are eager to do so. Renewed competition for spots, such as the battle for starting goalkeeper, will no doubt help, but fatigued fans will be just as eager to see a mentality shift from experienced players who hold leadership positions and likely will not exit the lineup anytime soon.

A reinvigorated approach is also arguably necessary considering Pochettino’s hire is right around the corner, which will be the ultimate reset for a team that has not changed much since Berhalter began building a new, young core in 2019. The potential new head coach may not necessarily be in attendance in Cincinnati on Tuesday, but he will no doubt look to this summer’s games as a reference point as he learns about his new team. Every opportunity to impress will count in some fashion, even if there’s no signed contract in place just yet.

Pochettino watch continues

While Tuesday’s match could offer several answers about the USMNT’s expanded player pool, most onlookers will be focused on what’s happening off the pitch rather than the events on it as the long wait to hire Pochettino rolls on.

Pochettino agreed to take the job last month and the deal will likely have no stumbling blocks on U.S. Soccer’s side since the board of directors met on Sunday night to discuss his hire, per ESPN, a process that is considered a formality. The Argentine, though, has yet to put pen to paper over a payment dispute with his former employer, Chelsea, and it is unclear if that has been resolved. He is reportedly still on track to coach his first game next month, when the USMNT return to action for friendlies against Panama in Austin, Texas and Mexico in Guadaljara.

His hire will loom large over the USMNT for yet another game, regardless of whether or not he makes it to Cincinnati in time for kickoff, especially as onlookers attempt to map out what Pochettino’s version of the national team might look like. Many will ultimately point to this month’s games, as well as the Copa America performance, as examples of what he needs to fix — and how much work there is to be done once he finally shows up.