With Mauricio Pochettino looking like he is on the way to Manchester United, there could be a major vacancy to fill for the U.S. men's national team with the head coach position. With a new national training center, an established team, and young players coming up from everywhere to push that squad, it's a job that should be an attractive one to managers around the world, depending on the direction that U.S. Pochettino was an appropriate splash hire ahead of the World Cup, and it's not surprising that a top team in the world still wanted him.
But when looking to build a stable base for 2030, there's a chance that the powers that be would prefer a candidate who would be more bought into American soccer, so when looking at potential candidates to take the role, it makes sense to sound out both options, and here's the list it has come to: The best American coach in Major League Soccer and someone who also got my vote for Coach of the Year after leading Nashville SC to a league-record 77 points in the regular season, B.J. Callaghan will need to be among the top contenders for the USMNT job if the U.S. Soccer Federation chooses to go with an American fit instead of another splash hire like Pochettino.
He already has experience coaching and leading the USMNT during tournament play, leading the squad to the 2023 Concacaf Nations League title before heading to Nashville and turning them into one of the most complete sides in MLS. Callaghan has paid his dues, going from the college ranks all the way to the professional ones, and is someone with intimate knowledge of the American soccer system. If looking to go in a more traditional direction while also not shifting the vision of Olympic play, Callaghan is a solid choice.
While Nancy's time at Celtic after leaving the Columbus Crew was a moment to forget, not all of that was his fault, as the French manager has done nothing but succeed in his career, no matter where he has gone. Limit his resources, and he'll develop a system to get the best out of what he has; increase them, and he'll go toe to toe with everyone, and that flexibility is critical in international play. It's rare that you have your first-choice 11 available, and being able to work around that is what can make a difference on the margins.
Nancy could want to still test himself in Europe but it doesn't hurt to call. Currently overseeing the U-23s, the former Los Angeles FC manager would likely be in the USMNT succession plan for Pochettino. The goal was to bring both camps together as much as possible and ensure that they had a similar style, as plenty of players would go between both squads depending on needs.
The issue is that this has all happened faster than anyone would've anticipated, since if Steve Cherundolo was going to take over the USMNT, that'd likely be a 2028 post-Olympic deal rather than right at this moment. But also looking at the performance of LAFC without Cherundolo, it's clear that he held things together plenty in that squad and that he could be a fit for the role; the question is just when. You have to make the call, and it looks like they will.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
