Home / Sports / The coach who energized U.S. soccer at the World Cup is on the verge of leaving for a job in England Sports The coach who energized U.S. soccer at the World Cup is on the verge of leaving for a job in England Ryan Mitchell Ryan Mitchell
Sports Reporter · Rome, GA
Ryan Mitchell, a former collegiate athlete and graduate of Berry College, has spent the last 5 years reporting on high school sports in the Rome area. His background in sports management informs his insightful analyses of local teams. Ryan previously contributed to local sports blogs and has a deep passion for amplifying young athletes' achievements.
More from Ryan → Sports Reporter · Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:32 PM · 3 min read
Aa
✕ Text size A A A
Typeface Sans Serif
Line spacing Tight Normal Loose
Theme Auto Light Dark
Focus mode Off Distraction-free
A− A+
Aa Sans Save PrintMauricio Pochettino had the United States on a roll at the
World Cup
.
The Americans plowed into the knockout stages with
fun and furious soccer
as rapturous crowds shook the stadiums with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” sing-alongs in front of record television audiences. And Pochettino, a former Argentina player who had coached in some of Europe's biggest leagues, was in the middle of it all, encouraging and embracing the passion building behind the team in a big country with limited soccer success.
kAm%96 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? 4@249 2?5 4@F?ECJ =@@<65 D@ 3C:89E E92E 6G6? H96? E96 &]$] 6I:E65 :? 2?@E96C C@F?5 @7 `e 56762E[ !@496EE:?@ D:8?65 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A@496EE:?@\FD\4@249\4@?EC24E\f6dad7_2c7h7geg2eb5ecce6che_fba3Qm7@FC\J62C 6IE6?D:@?k^2m E@ =625 2 8C@FA @7 C:D:?8 2?5 E2=6?E65 A=2J6CD E9C@F89 E96 a_b_ (@C=5 rFA]k^Am
kAmxE >2J 36 E:>6 E@ DE2CE @G6C]k^Am
kAm!@496EE:?@ @? %9FCD52J H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42CC:4<\>2?496DE6C\F?:E65\A@496EE:?@\h35c5ca_d5g33ggaaha6g5dfa_376gahQm4=@D:?8 :? @? 2 562=k^2m E@ 36 E96 >2?286C @7 |2?496DE6C &?:E65 :? t?8=2?5VD !C6>:6C {628F6] %96 ?6HD 42>6 EH@ 52JD 367@C6 E96 &]$] H2D D6E E@ @A6? r~}rprpu }2E:@?D {628F6 A=2J $2EFC52J 282:?DE w2:E:]k^Am
kAm“x 42?’E E92?< 9:> 6?@F89 C682C5=6DD @7 :7 96’D 4@249 @C ?@E E96 4@249[” &]$] >:57:6=56C $632DE:2? q6C92=E6C D2:5 %9FCD52J] “w6’D >62?E D@ >F49 E@ >6] w6’D 96=A65 >6 56G6=@A 2D 2 A=2J6C 2?5 2D 2 A6CD@?] pD 2 A=2J6C E92E’D 2== x 42? 2D< 7@C[ E@ 92G6 E92E ECFDE 2?5 36=:67]”k^Am
k9ampC86?E:?6 4@249 =65 2? p>6C:42? C6DFC86?46k^9am
kAm!@496EE:?@ 925 ?6G6C 4@24965 2 ?2E:@?2= E62> 367@C6 E2<:?8 @G6C E96 &]$] AC@8C2> :? a_ac] w6 H2D 36DE [ r96=D62 2?5 !2C:D $2:?E\v6C>2:?]k^Am
kAmp >@G6 E@ |2?496DE6C &?:E65 H@F=5 AFE 9:> :? 492C86 @7 @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE 4=F3D :? E96 3:886DE =628F6 :? E96 H@C=5] &?:E65 92D H@? a_ t?8=:D9 =628F6 E:E=6D[ E:65 7@C E96 >@DE :? 9:DE@CJ[ 3FE E96 =2DE @?6 H2D a_`b 2?5 E96 4=F3 :D 4FCC6?E=J :? `gE9 @FE @7 a_ :? E96 DE2?5:?8D]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 D62D@? 6?565 E@52J[ |2?496DE6C &?:E65 H@F=5 36 C6=682E65 E@ 2 =@H6C 5:G:D:@?] !@496EE:?@ H@F=5 36 2D<65 E@ C6D4F6 E96 E62> 7C@> DF49 9F>:=:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmp>6C:42? A=2J6CD 4C65:E65 9:> H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^FD>?E\H@C=5\4FA\A@496EE:?@\hg5cabd3f42`g7efd2`c2`_ga`fdaeheQm:?DE:==:?8 2 E@F896Ck^2m[ >@C6 C6D:=:6?E >:?5D6E] !=2J:?8 @? 9@>6 D@:=[ E96 &]$] H@? 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6D 2E E96 (@C=5 rFA 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 `hb_[ 2?5 25G2?465 7C@> E96 8C@FA DE286 H:E9 2 82>6 E@ DA2C6] %96 E9C66 G:4E@C:6D 2E 2 D:?8=6 (@C=5 rFA 2=D@ D6E 2 ?6H >2C<]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 a\_ H:? @G6C pFDEC2=:2[ !@496EE:?@ D@2<65 :? E96 D:?8:?8 2?5 46=63C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%@52J[ 6G6? :7 x’> ?@E p>6C:42?[ 27E6C E96 82>6 x H2D 6>@E:@?2=[” !@496EE:?@ D2:5] “xE H2D 2? 2>2K:?8 2?5 A6C764E 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? E96 6?6C8J 7C@> E96 DE2?5D 2?5 E96 E62>]”k^Am
kAmq6C92=E6C D2:5 !@496EE:?@ E2AA65 :?E@ E92E H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAm“w6 >256 FD 6G6? >@C6 AC@F5 E@ 36 p>6C:42? 2?5 x E9:?< E92E DA626D @7 H9@ 96 :D 2D 2 A6CD@? 2?5 2D 2 4@249[” q6C92=E6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 CF? 6?565 H:E9 2 C6D@F?5:?8 c\` =@DD E@ q6=8:F> :? E96 C@F?5 @7 `e] qFE E96 8@@5 G:36D 36EH66? 4@249 2?5 4@F?ECJ H6C6 DE:== 7=@H:?8 H96? !@496EE:?@ D:8?65 9:D 6IE6?D:@? :? pF8FDE 2?5 !@496EE:?@ C67=64E65 @? E96 “>28:4” @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm!@496EE:?@ H2D?VE :? E96 &]$] 7@C E96 2??@F?46>6?E] w6 H2D 2E 9@>6 :? $A2:?] p?5 96 2=D@ =67E 9:>D6=7 2? @FE]k^Am
kAm“u@FC J62CDV E:>6 :D 2 C62==J =@?8 A6C:@5] *@F ?6G6C 6[ >2J36 E92E 492?86WDX[ E92E 766=:?8]”k^Am
kAmw6 92D 366? =@?8 25>:C65 3J |2?496DE6C &?:E65[ 2?5 2 3C62< 4=2FD6 :? 9:D &]$] 4@?EC24E @A6?65 E96 5@@C 7@C &?:E65 E@ >2<6 :ED >@G6 2D E96 4=F3 DECF88=65 E9:D D62D@? F?56C |:4926= r2CC:4<[ H9@ H2D 7:C65 @? %9FCD52J]k^Am
k9amr@249:?8 D62C49 368:?D H:E9 6J6D @? vF2C5:@=2k^9am
kAm%96 a_b_ (@C=5 rFA H:== 36 A=2J65 :? |@C@44@[ $A2:? 2?5 !@CEF82=[ 2?5 &]$] D@446C @77:4:2=D H:== =:<6=J >@G6 BF:4<=J E@ 7:?5 2 ?6H 4@249 E@ DE2CE E96 3F:=5FA]k^Am
kAm%96J C6A@CE65=J 92G6 E96:C 6J6D @? @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE ?2>6D :? E96 DA@CEi !6A vF2C5:@=2 @7 $A2:?]k^Am
kAmvF2C5:@=2 92D H@? 3:8 6G6CJH96C6 96VD 4@24965 :? D@446CVD 36DE AC@76DD:@?2= =628F6Di E9C66 {2 {:82 492>A:@?D9:AD H:E9 q2C46=@?2 :? $A2:?[ E9C66 qF?56D=:82 E:E=6D H:E9 q2J6C? |F?:49 :? v6C>2?J 2?5 D:I !C6>:6C {628F6 492>A:@?D9:AD H:E9 |2?496DE6C r:EJ :? t?8=2?5]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 dd\J62C\@=5 92D ?6G6C 4@24965 2 ?2E:@?2= E62>[ =6E 2=@?6 2 &]$] DBF25 E92E 6G6? !@496EE:?@ D2:5 367@C6 E96 (@C=5 rFA 5:5 ?@E 92G6 2?J A=2J6CD H9@ C2?< 2>@?8 E96 E@A `__ :? E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAm%92EVD G2DE=J 5:776C6?E 7C@> AC@ E62>D E92E DA6?5 =2G:D9 DF>D 7@C E@A A=2J6CD] p? :?G6DE:82E:G6 C6A@CE C6=62D65 :? $6AE6>36C 244FD65 |2?496DE6C r:EJ @7 4:C4F>G6?E:?8 72:C A=2J 2?5 7:?2?4:2= CF=6D E@ 3F:=5 E96 C@DE6CD @7 vF2C5:@=2VD >@DE 5@>:?2?E E62>D E96C6]k^Am
kAm~C &]$] D@446C @77:4:2=D 4@F=5 EFC? E@ |2;@C {628F6 $@446C 7@C E96 ?6IE 4@249] p>6C:42? 4@2496D 92G6 366? DF446DD7F= :? E96 A2DE] qCF46 pC6?2 =65 E96 &]$] E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D :? a__a] q@3 qC25=6J Wa_`_X 2?5 vC688 q6C92=E6C Wa_aaX 2=D@ E@@< E96 p>6C:42?D E@ E96 @?8 E96 J@F?86DE DBF25D 2E E96 a_ae (@C=5 rFA H:E9 2? 2G6C286 286 @7 ae] %96 C:D:?8 &]$] DE2CD :?4=F56 ad\J62C\@=5 DEC:<6C u@=2C:? q2=@8F?[ H9@ D4@C65 E9C66 8@2=D[ 2?5 aa\J62C\@=5 5676?56C p=6I uC66>2?]k^Am
kAmq2=@8F? AC2:D65 !@496EE:?@ 7@C C2:D:?8 E96 DE2?52C5 @7 A=2J 7@C E96 &]$] E62>]k^Am
kAm“w6’D =2:5 E96 7@F?52E:@? 2?5 x E9:?< FD E96 A=2J6CD 92G6 E92E @H?6CD9:A[ E@ ?@E ;FDE 5@ E92E 3642FD6 !@49 H2D :? 492C86[” q2=@8F? D2:5] “(96E96C 96’D 96C6 @C H96E96C 96’D ?@E[ E96 &]$] H:== =@@< E@ C6A=246 9:> H:E9 2?@E96C E@A 4@249]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! $A@CED (C:E6C vC292> sF?32C :? v6?6G2 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446CQm$66 p!’D 7F== D@446C 4@G6C286 96C6k^2mk^Am
Up next Longtime NBC Sports announcer Dan Hicks dies at 64 Sports · 3 min read