Mauricio Pochettino engineered a victory on Saturday night, overseeing a 6-0 rout of Haiti in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals at the Nu Stadium in Miami.
This result marked the largest margin of victory during the Argentine manager’s tenure, which began in 2024.
Christian Pulisic starred in his regreso a la selección tras el Mundial 2026, netting a quickfire double. The commanding result leaves the Americans firmly in control ahead of Tuesday’s return leg in Cincinnati, which will mark Pochettino’s final match in charge before he departs to take over at Manchester United.
The manager, who previously led the side to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup before their elimination against Belgium, officially accepted the Premier League role after the dismissal of Michael Carrick.
Pochettino prepares for Premier League return
Pochettino confirmed on Friday that he accepted an offer to manage Manchester United, walking away from a contract extension he agreed to with U.S. Soccer after the team’s World Cup run ended in the round of 16. The Argentine manager admitted the impending exit had dominated the pre-match discourse.
“Este país tiene por delante un futuro increíble con la selección nacional,” Pochettino told reporters in his post-match press conference, as reported by Clarín. “La construcción de la estructura y los principios creo que ya están aquí, y ahora es cuestión de continuar.”
The match itself was shifted to Miami at the request of the Haitian federation to accommodate local fans, given that Haiti has not played home fixtures in its own territory since 2021 due to security concerns, TyC Sports noted. Despite partisan support in the stands, the Caribbean side struggled to contain the hosts’ sustained attacking pressure.
Goals flow after a testing opening period
Auston Trusty opened the scoring in the 10th minute by heading in a cross from Sebastian Berhalter. Haiti offered resistance in the first half, testing young goalkeeper Diego Kochen, while the officials disallowed a goal from 18-year-old Julian Hall for offside among three total first-half goals scratched off by referee Walter López.
The floodgates opened after the interval as the visitors faded physically. Hall doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with his fourth international goal in five appearances. Pulisic then converted a 62nd-minute penalty before firing in another from the edge of the box a minute later, bringing his international tally to 35 goals and moving him past Eric Wynalda to become the fourth-highest scorer in U.S. history.
Weston McKennie added a header in the 68th minute, and Folarin Balogun capped the scoring in the 82nd minute after collecting a pass from Malik Tillman, rounding off a comprehensive victory. Balogun had previously seen a goal disallowed by the referee following a VAR review for a foul.
Praise from the dressing room
Balogun lauded the departing manager’s impact during his time with the program. “Es un entrenador increíble y nos ha aportado mucho,” Balogun said. “Siempre es triste cuando ves marcharse a un gran entrenador, pero es parte del deporte. Hoy lo importante era mantenernos unidos y conseguir la victoria. Simplemente hace que la despedida sea mejor.”
The return fixture takes place on Tuesday, November 17, in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving as Pochettino’s final appearance on the U.S. touchline before he travels to England ahead of Manchester United’s fixture against Liverpool on November 22.
- Internacional Wins 3-1 in First Leg of Copa do Brasil Feminina Final
- Croatia’s Coach Warns FC Barcelona Over Dominik Livakovic’s Lack of Playing Time
- Bangkok Hosts First Eurovision Song Contest Asia With 11 Nations Competing (breakinglatest.news)
- Milwaukee Wins Ninth Consecutive Horizon League Women’s Soccer Title with 5-2 Victory (bytewire.news)
