Mauricio Pochettino joins USMNT, Matt Crocker and JT Batson explain how it came together

>> THIS KIND OF OCCASION CALLS FOR BRINGING IN THE HEAVY HITTERS. >> WE HAVE SPORTING DIRECTOR MATT CROCKER JOINING US. WE HAVE U.S. SOCCER CEO JT BATSON JOINING US, AND WE UNDERSTAND THIS WAS A PROCESS, AND PROCESSES AREN'T ALWAYS QUICK AND EAS, RIGHT. BUT YOU HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH POCHETTINO. MATT, WE'LL START WITH YOU. TELL US HOW THIS ALL STARTED TO UNFOLD AND WHAT THOSE EARLY CONVERSATIONS WERE LIKE. >> YEAH, SURE. I MEAN I THINK, I'VE KNOWN MAURICIO FOR A LONG TIME FROM MY TIME AT SOUTHAMPTON WHEN I WAS ACADEMY DIRECTOR. WELL, TOO LONG TO EVEN REMEMBER, AND MAURICIO CAME IN FROM FROM SPAIN AS HIS HEAD COACH WHEN WE JUST BEGAN OUR JOURNEY IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE FOR SOUTHAMPTON. AND YEAH, I THINK STRAIGHT AWAY WHAT YOU REALIZE WITH MAURICIO IS HE'S AN OUTSTANDING, NOT JUST AN OUTSTANDING COACH, BUT A GREAT PERSON, A GREAT DEVELOPER, TACTICALLY REALLY ASTUTE. AND YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS AT SOUTHAMPTON AND THEN ONWARDS TO, YOU KNOW, TO SPURS, TO PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN ETC. YOU KNOW, HIS CAREER IS REALLY DECORATED AND WE'RE REALLY DELIGHTED TO HAVE HIM. AND I JUST REACHED OUT, MADE A CALL AND JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY MAURICIO, I WOULD LOVE MYSELF AND JT WOULD LOVE TO COME AND OUTLINE THE PROJECT TO YOU. AND YEAH, SO IT WAS A BIG SALES PITCH. WE WENT TO BARCELONA, WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TWO HOUR MEETING. TURNED OUT TO BE FIVE HOURS. AND YEAH, I THINK WE HOOKED HIM IN FROM THERE AND WE HAD LOTS MORE DISCUSSIONS FROM THEM. BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST POINT REALLY AT JT WITH A WORLD CLASS HEAD COACH COMES A UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. >> SPECIFIC ALSO TO ADD IN THE CHELSEA CONUNDRUM, HOW DOES THE PROCESS LOOK FROM YOUR ANGLE IN TERMS OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE FINANCIAL ANGLE FROM U.S. SOCCER WITH MAURICIO POCHETTINO? >> WELL, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, OUR PRESIDENT, CINDY PARLOW CONE, AND OUR BOARD CHALLENGED US TO GO FIND THE BEST COACH IN THE WORLD FOR OUR TEAM, AND WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE TRICKY. WE KNEW THEY'D HAVE OTHER JOB OPTIONS. WE KNEW THEY'D LIKELY BE UNDER CONTRACT. AND SO THOSE ARE ALL DYNAMICS THAT WE HAD TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THROUGH THIS PROCESS. AND WITH THAT ULTIMATELY CAME AN INVESTMENT. AND OBVIOUSLY WE MADE HUGE INVESTMENTS IN HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN OUR NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, IN BRINGING EMMA ON BOARD TO SET OUR WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM UP FOR SUCCESS. AND WE'RE DOING THAT HERE WITH OUR MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM AND WANTING TO PUT THIS TEAM IN THE BEST POSITION FOR 26. >> WANTING A COACH IS ONE THING, BUT WHAT GAVE YOU CONFIDENCE OUTSIDE OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT GOES BACK AND A TRUST THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY SKIP A COUPLE OF STEPS WITH? WHAT GAVE YOU CONFIDENCE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LAND COACH TAYLOR? >> I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, YOU GO THERE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN OUTLINE WHERE WE ARE AS A TEAM. YOU KNOW, THE WARTS AND ALL THE POSITIVES, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE TEAM AS WE WORK TOWARDS 2026. AND I THINK WHAT WAS WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING STRAIGHT AWAY IS THE QUESTIONS HE ASKED, THE DETAILED QUESTIONS, HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE SQUAD, AND THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PROSPECTS IN THERE AND SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK STRAIGHT AWAY YOU REALIZE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T A ONE WAY THING. WE WERE GOING THERE. AND HE'D DONE HIS HE'S DONE HIS HOMEWORK AS WELL. WE MET HIM AND HIS ASSISTANT JESUS PEREZ. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE JUST AS QUICK TO DO A DETAILED PRESENTATION ON OUR STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AS WE WERE. SO, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHT AWAY YOU COULD SEE THERE WAS REAL INTEREST AND EMMA KNOWS HIM. >> DID YOU USE THAT AT ALL? I MEAN, THAT'S ANOTHER WEAPON THAT I'D IMAGINE. >> I MEAN, OF COURSE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SHE'S SHE'S AN UNBELIEVABLE COACH. AND AN UNBELIEVABLE PERSON. SO, YOU KNOW, DURING THE OLYMPICS, WE WERE JOKING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE SAW HER, YOU KNOW, SHE'S PREPARING FOR A GAME. SHE'D BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S MY WATCH? YEAH. WHERE ARE YOU WITH IT. YOU KNOW, SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, SHE KNOWS HIM. OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT AS ANOTHER REFERENCE POINT AS WELL, YOU KNOW, SHE'S GOT THE HIGHEST WE'VE GOT THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER. AND I GUESS THE DYNAMIC OF SEEING THOSE TWO WORK TOGETHER IS ALSO REALLY EXCITING AS WE MOVE FORWARD. YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR LAST YOUR LAST COMMENT. >> WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE COMING INTO 2026. AND BEYOND WITH POCHETTINO? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU THAT YOU MAY FACE THAT YOU THINK THAT WILL COME UP WITH WITH THE HIRING? >> I THINK THERE'S MANY I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'VE GOT TO HIGHLIGHT AND LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CURRENT PLAYING GROUP IN THE SQUAD, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A LOT OF PLAYERS THAT AREN'T WHAT I WOULD CALL CONSISTENT STARTERS AT THEIR CLUB NOT PLAYING ENOUGH MINUTES, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR ABILITY TO COME IN AND AFFECT THE SUCCESS OF OUR NATIONAL TEAM. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH MAURIZIO, WHAT WE'VE GOT IS A COACH THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, GO AND VISIT, SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORKING WITH CLUBS, WITH PLAYERS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S BEEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WORKING WITH NOT JUST YOUNG PLAYERS BUT THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE HE CAN MAKE A REALLY POSITIVE IMPACT ON HELPING THEM, MAKING SOME OF THEIR CAREER DECISIONS TO HELP THEM BE IN THE BEST PLACE FOR 2026 AS WELL. >> MATT, TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE LOGISTICS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE MAURICIO, HE'S NOT OBVIOUSLY AT THIS GAME TONIGHT. I UNDERSTAND HE'S FLYING TO AMERICA TOMORROW. WHAT IS THE NEXT MONTH GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR HIM ON THE DAY TO DAY AS HE GETS READY FOR THE NEXT TIME THAT WE SEE THIS US TEAM OUT HERE? >> YEAH. SO YOU KNOW STRAIGHT FROM THE GAME TONIGHT. WE'LL WE'LL MEET MAURICIO TOMORROW MORNING OR I'LL ARRIVE TOMORROW MORNING. HE ARRIVES LUNCHTIME. WE'LL MEET HIM IN NEW YORK. AND YOU KNOW ALREADY WE'VE GOT A SIX WEEK PLAN MAPPED OUT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A WE'VE GOT AN EVENT AGAIN OR ANOTHER OCTOBER WINDOW IN OCTOBER. PANAMA AND MEXICO. SO PREPARATIONS FOR THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY WITH HIM AND HIS TEAM AND OUR TEAM HERE AS WELL, SO WE'LL LOOK AT THAT. BUT THEN ALSO WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS ON, YOU KNOW, CAMP BASE FOR 2026, AND WE'LL WORK BACKWARDS ALL THE, ALL THE VARIOUS WINDOWS, YOU KNOW, ALREADY IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, THERE'S SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIM TO GET OUT AND SEE SOME PLAYERS IN CLUBS, SEE SOME GAMES, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE NEXT SIX WEEKS AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET HIM TO ATLANTA ALONG WITH EMMA. YOU KNOW THEY'VE GOT A THEY'VE GOT HOUSES TO SORT AND THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW A NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER TO HAVE A LOOK AT. SO YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US MATT, GOING BACK TO THE 2022 WORLD CUP, THE MOMENTUM BEHIND THIS GROUP WAS EXTRAORDINARY. >> MAURICIO POCHETTINO WILL BE THE FIFTH MANAGER IN THE TIME SINCE. SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN YOUR POSITION, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THIS GROUP AND THE STRUCTURE THAT'S NECESSARY TO MOVE FORWARD THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHEN YOU TOOK THE JOB? >> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK WHEN I FIRST TOOK THE JOB, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST SORT OF EXPERIENCE WAS A REVIEWING THE WORLD CUP, LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCES. >> AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME REALLY, REALLY TALENTED PLAYERS IN THERE. AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THING THAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS IS YOU KNOW, THEY CAN BE REALLY TALENTED AND THEY CAN HAVE HIGHEST POTENTIAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO PLAY CONSISTENTLY AT THEIR CLUBS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME REAL CHALLENGES IN THAT WITH US. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ASKING OUR STAFF, OUR PLAYERS, THE CLUBS THEMSELVES IN MAKING SURE WE PUT OURSELVES AND THE PLAYERS IN A GREAT SPOT FOR 2026. >> NOW THERE'S TWO VERY HIGH PROFILE AND NOW ONE ALREADY VERY SUCCESSFUL, SUCCESSFUL COACH IN EMMA HAYES. WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT WAS MADE BY HIRING TWO COACHES OF THIS CALIBER AT THIS STAGE IN US SOCCER HISTORY? >> WELL, TO BUILDING ON THE QUESTION YOU ALSO ASKED EARLIER AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHY AND WHY DO WE BELIEVE YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME SO FAR AS A SOCCER COUNTRY AND WE OF COURSE HAVE SO, SO MUCH ROOM TO GROW. I THINK WHAT THIS SHOWS IS OUR AMBITION AS A FEDERATION, AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE'S BELIEF IN OUR OPPORTUNITY. AND SO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN SOCCER IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN. THIS IS A WIN FOR YOU TODAY. AND SO EVERYONE SHOULD BE PROUD. AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT ALL THIS MEANS. >> SO YOURSELVES YOU HAD OGUCHI ONYEWU TO THE MIX. AND THEN NOW ULTIMATELY MAURICIO POCHETTINO. WHAT IS THE TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT LOOK LIKE. SO THE MEN'S TEAM ARE ESTABLISHED. BUT TO THE UNDER 23 SECONDS THE 2217. HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THE EFFECT IS OF MAURICIO POCHETTINO. >> YEAH I MEAN I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MASSIVE. YOU KNOW, SO YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THE ONE THING I THINK REALLY EXCITED MAURICIO WAS THE OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO COACH THE TEAM, BUT TO BE PART OF CHANGING SOCCER, YOU KNOW IN THIS COUNTRY AND YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO START TO INFLUENCE HIS PHILOSOPHY THROUGHOUT THE AGES AND STAGES. YOU KNOW, WE SPOKE TO HIM QUITE A LOT ABOUT OUR AMBITIONS OF THE US WAY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE OUR CULTURE, OUR PHILOSOPHY FROM OUR YOUNGEST AGE GROUPS AND OUR NATIONAL TEAMS ALL THE WAY THROUGH INDIVIDUAL AGE GROUPS OPERATING IN EVERY SINGLE FIFA WINDOW, GIVING THOSE YOUNG PLAYERS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE TOOLKITS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY ACTUALLY PLAY FOR THE SENIOR LEVEL AND FOR ALL THAT TO BE ALIGNED WITH EVERY SINGLE AGE AND STAGE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT EMMA HAS ALREADY BEGAN WORKING ON AS WELL. WITH TRACEY KEVINS, WHO'S OUR NEW HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT TEAMS, AND OBVIOUSLY MAURICIO WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH BARRY POWELL, WHO DOES THAT SAME ROLE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE, BUT ALSO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT WORK ALREADY IN PLACE AND FOUNDATIONS TO BUILD FROM. >> THERE IS A GAME TO BE PLAYED TONIGHT, BUT ALREADY WHAT A WIN. SO CONGRATULATIONS. IN ORDER FOR BOTH OF YOU JT AND MATT WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS STOPPING BY. LOOK NO PRESSURE BUT KYLE BROUGHT IT UP. THE LAST PERSON YOU BROUGHT IN FOR CHELSEA, ALL THEY EVER DID IS WIN EVERY SINGLE GAME AND RUN THEIR WAY TO A GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS. SO NO PRESSURE ON MAURICIO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HIM HERE VERY, VERY SHORTLY. SO JUST A REMINDER, THESE ARE THE NEXT GAMES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FROM THE MEN'S TEAM WHERE WE SHOULD SEE POCHETTINO. HIS FIRST GAME, HIS FIRST MATCH WOULD BE NEXT MONTH AGAINST PANAMA IN AUSTIN. THAT IS FOLLOWED BY A TRIP TO GUADALAJARA TO FACE ARCHRIVAL MEXICO. HIS FIRST COMPETITIVE GAMES WOULD BE