ไทย
English
中國人
After a two-year stint, Mauricio Pochettino has stepped down from his role as U.S. men's national team head coach, with reports indicating he will head back to the Premier League to take over relegation-threatened Manchester United as early as next week.
U.S. Soccer now has several months to thoughtfully identify a permanent successor, with the team scheduled to resume competitive play in March for what is expected to be the Concacaf Nations League Finals, followed by hosting duties at the Gold Cup during the summer.
Newly named U-23 USMNT head coach Steve Cherundolo will oversee the USMNT's December friendly, which will feature an MLS-heavy roster facing Jamaica in Fort Lauderdale. However, with Cherundolo already focused on preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, it appears he is serving only as a short-term stopgap.
Of the 40 coaches in USMNT history, just 18 have been American-born. While B.J. Callaghan has positioned himself as a strong candidate following a record-setting campaign in Nashville, there remains a real possibility that the federation will pursue another high-profile foreign manager in the wake of Pochettino's departure.
There is no lack of prominent names currently without clubs, including Roberto Martínez, Julian Nagelsmann, Gareth Southgate, Antonio Conte, Didier Deschamps, Arne Slot, and Eddie Howe. Yet the most coveted name of all is Pep Guardiola, widely regarded as the finest manager in football history and reportedly the "top target" for U.S. Soccer at this time.
Could the Stars and Stripes realistically land Guardiola? And more critically, should they even pursue him? USMNT goalkeeping legend Tim Howard certainly has his reservations.
'Absolutely Not'—Howard Casts Doubt On Guardiola
The most-capped goalkeeper in USMNT history with 121 appearances, Howard never had the opportunity to face a Guardiola-managed side, wrapping up his 13-year Premier League career just as Guardiola arrived at the blue half of Manchester. Since retiring from professional football in 2020, Howard has served as a full-time Premier League studio pundit for NBC Sports, working alongside Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earle, and Robbie Mustoe.
Howard has observed from the studio as City ruled English football with dominance, collecting 20 trophies under Guardiola, including six Premier League titles and a historic UEFA Champions League triumph. Nevertheless, he does not believe Guardiola is the right man for the national team job.
"Guardiola has only ever thrived with top-tier players," Howard said on his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer. "The next time I see Pep Guardiola, he might smack me, and I'm fine with that. He is absolutely not the right coach for this squad, given the timeline leading up to the next World Cup. I don't think he'd last four years — I think he'd grow frustrated."
"We probably have Tier Three players on a global scale. Hell, I might have been a Tier Three player myself," Howard admitted. "[Guardiola] has found success at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, but we genuinely don't know whether he can coach Level Two or Three players effectively. Nobody can claim they know the answer to that."
BREAKING: Mauricio Pochettino To Leave USMNT for Manchester United | Unfiltered Soccer https://t.co/odXB62wsOR
"I won't name names out of respect for people's wellbeing, but Pep has broken players," Howard warned. "Players who would walk into our national team and be the undisputed best by a country mile. Because of how relentless Pep is, they crumbled. A couple of years back, I was speaking with the captain of Manchester City, and he told me, 'You have no idea how demanding Pep is every single day.'"
"He's not the right guy for me."
Howard's podcast co-host and joint all-time leading USMNT scorer Landon Donovan, who netted 57 goals, also concurred that Guardiola would be a poor fit. "We both agree that Pep is an exceptional manager, but this would not be the right match for the USMNT. Would he be beneficial for our 18-year-old players? I'm not sure. We have talented, elite players, but he's been surrounded by the very best."
"Pep is a genius who revolutionized the way soccer is played globally, but that is a completely different challenge from having two training sessions to prepare for a match against Haiti," Donovan pointed out. "As a national team coach, man-management skills are far more critical than implementing a specific style of play. I don't think he's the right fit for us."
Would Guardiola Even Be Interested in Leading the USMNT?
Having only recently concluded a decade-long chapter in Manchester, it is evident that Guardiola, 55, is in absolutely no hurry to return to the dugout. Just four months ago, he turned down the chance to manage four-time World Cup champions Italy — so why would he take on a team that has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in each of their last four World Cup appearances?
That said, there are clearly certain factors that could tempt him to make the transatlantic move. After orchestrating what many consider the greatest club side in history at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, Guardiola spent his first sabbatical in New York City before eventually joining Bayern Munich. He has kept an apartment in Manhattan and frequently returned to the city during his tenure as City manager.
U.S. Soccer previously made overtures toward appointing him in both 2022 and 2024. Furthermore, Guardiola has spoken enthusiastically about U.S. Soccer in the past, remarking: "The USA is fascinating to try and build a project for many years and being able to get the national team to the next step. The potential with the USA is there for the amount of people and sports and so on."
Can the USMNT realistically attract Guardiola to fill their managerial vacancy? Probably not. But that is unlikely to stop them from making the attempt.