"He's told us that we're American, we don't take s---," Sebastian Berhalter said this week. That one line, from a kid whose own father held the job before Pochettino, tells you everything about how much this team has changed.
The US beat Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener — a result that left Paraguay's coach Gustavo Alfaro admitting he had been "dominated tactically, technically and physically." That's not a fluke scoreline. That's the payoff from 18 months of cultural surgery.
When Pochettino inherited this squad in September 2024, people close to him describe what he found as a "holiday camp" — players comfortable in their spots, no one really fighting for anything. The absence of promotion and relegation in MLS had seeped into the national team's mentality. Failure had no consequences except the manager getting sacked. And managers kept getting sacked while the players floated on.
Culture before tactics
At one camp in Austin, Pochettino walked the players into a meeting room with the words "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast" written in red marker on a poster. He'd heard the phrase for the first time over breakfast with Chick-fil-A chairman Dan Cathy a few months earlier and it landed. His logic was simple: all the tactical preparation in the world collapses without the right mentality underneath it.
He gave caps to 61 players from 16 leagues across 12 countries during the build-up. No one was safe. No reputation protected you. Even Pulisic — the team's best player — was flying into form under genuine pressure to earn his place rather than assume it.
Tim Weah put it plainly: "We have that bit of edge that we didn't have before." Brenden Aaronson, who admitted he was terrified to ask Pochettino for time off to attend his own wedding, added that "fight and grit" is the non-negotiable floor. The minimum. Not a bonus attribute — the entry requirement.
The contrast with how Pochettino himself experienced a World Cup is relevant here. In 2002 with Argentina under Marcelo Bielsa, he was part of a squad that didn't get out of the group. Bielsa ran a militaristic closed camp. No family, no breathing room. The players were physically and mentally drained before the tournament started. Pochettino swore he'd do it differently if he ever got the chance.
Which is why family members are at training sessions in Irvine. Why there are organised Disneyland excursions for loved ones. Why a barbecue followed the Paraguay win and Tyler Adams spent a day off watching the New York Knicks win their first NBA title in 53 years. This isn't softness — it's deliberate. The trade-off, as Pochettino sees it, is that players who feel looked after run through walls when it matters.
Australia and what's at stake
The next test is Australia in Seattle on Friday — and it arrives with an extra charge after US pundit Mike Grella called the fixture a "lay-up" for the Americans late last year. The Socceroos have been dining out on that quote ever since. Expect a team with something to prove.
Pochettino will want more than what he saw in the first half of the last meeting between these sides in October — a performance that had him tearing into his players at the interval. "They come and they fight?" he reportedly screamed. "When are we going to fix that?" Against Paraguay, he got his answer. Now he needs it again.
The Pulisic injury — a calf issue that forced him off at half-time against Paraguay — is the one genuine concern heading into this game. Lose him and the US lose their most dangerous creative threat. His availability is the key variable, and until he's confirmed fit, any odds around US attacking output deserve a second look.
Record TV numbers — 27.5 million viewers for the Paraguay match — show how much appetite there is for this run. Pochettino changed the team motto from "One Nation, One Team" to "Never Chase Reality." It sounds like motivational wallpaper until you see what he's actually building. Then it just sounds like a plan.
