No head coach wants the focus to be on them heading into critical knockout games. Yet, that situation couldn’t be avoided for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal against Costa Rica.
Early on Saturday, a report from Ireland suggested that Pochettino had interviewed for the Brentford managerial position, which the club’s former set-piece coach Keith Andrews has since filled. However, according to Pochettino himself and multiple sources, the Premier League club never reached out, let alone proceeded with an interview.
“This club never contacted me,” Pochettino told Fox Sports. “I never talked to them.”
Previously a coach with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol, Pochettino signed with the USMNT in September 2024 with the goal of leading the team through the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
While he could feasibly have been a candidate for Brentford as they looked to fill the vacancy left by Thomas Frank’s appointment at Tottenham, the Premier League side would have needed to go through U.S. Soccer to engage in talks if they wanted to pursue his services.
While Pochettino’s USMNT have looked good at the Gold Cup with group stage wins against Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and Saudi Arabia, it has not been all smooth for the Argentine boss since taking over.
Heading into the tournament, he became the first USMNT manager since 2007 to lose four straight games, following disappointing performances against Panama, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey.
Additionally, there has also been the issue with Christian Pulisic and other star players, who are not on the American Gold Cup squad. For Pulisic, the decision came down to resting after a long season with AC Milan. However, in a CBS Sports, he added that he had wanted to play in the pre-Gold Cup friendlies against UEFA opponents, but Pochettino denied his request.
“When I signed my contract in the federation, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin,” Pochettino hit back. “Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan.”
Boasting an 8–3 record with the USMNT, Pochettino will hope to lead the team past Costa Rica on Sunday and into a semifinal, where they would face either Canada or Guatemala for a spot in the Gold Cup final on July 6 in Houston.
