|
US Soccer will be holding talks with head coach Mauricio Pochettino over his future with the men's national side after the co-hosts crashed out of the ongoing FIFA World Cup with a shambolic 4-1 loss to Belgium in their round of 16 clash at Seattle.
The 54-year-old Argentina coach will be completing his contract with US Soccer after the tournament, and there has been speculation around his future following a disappointing end to the WC campaign, during which the US had expected to go far on their home soil. However, despite the restoration of star player Flo Balogun after his red card was taken back by FIFA in a highly controversial move, nothing worked for the US during the match as Romelu Lukaku and Charles De Ketelaere were among the top stars for Belgium. The federation, as per Reuters, said that it has held "positive conversations" about the tournament run and both sides have agreed to talk about the future direction of US Soccer, as far as the position of head coach is concerned. "We have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his staff and everyone part of the program," U.S. Soccer said in a statement on Tuesday as quoted by Reuters. US Soccer hired the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris St Germain and Chelsea manager in September 2024, aiming to turn the team into serious World Cup contenders. However, the way the US lost their Belgium round of 16 clash will leave the federation with a difficult task ahead in the coming months, to assess if Pochenttino is the right person to continue in the next cycle leading up to the 2030 World Cup or not. (ANI)
|
