Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT vision finally shines through in Concacaf Nations League win; Martino out in Miami

Hey there! The men's international break is officially winding down, but even before clubs resume normal activity, there's plenty of managerial news to discuss. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, Nov. 20
🇪🇺 UWCL: Twente vs. Real Madrid, 12;45 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🇪🇺 UWCL: Lyon vs. Roma, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN

Thursday, Nov. 21
🇪🇺 UWCL: Hammarby vs. Manchester City, 12;45 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🇪🇺 UWCL: St. Polten vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN

⚽ The Forward Line

🌎 Concacaf Nations League Finals set

A familiar group of names will take part in March's Concacaf Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium, with the U.S. men's national team, Canada, Mexico and Panama advancing after some big results this week.

The USMNT were the first to book a spot in the semifinals, beating Jamaica 4-2 on Monday and winning the series 5-2 on aggregate. The three-time Nations League champions took a 3-0 lead by halftime, with Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi on the scoresheet, before taking a more sloppy approach to the second half by conceding twice, though Timothy Weah's goal in the 56th minute was enough to keep a healthy advantage. It may not have been perfect, but the game offered a first real glimpse at the USMNT's potential under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who Chuck Booth notes is already making detailed-oriented adjustments just four games into the job.

• Booth: "Growing pains are to be expected as the coach begins to instill his ideals, but progress is also expected and facing the Reggae Boyz, that's exactly what was seen. Tactical tweaks like starting Yunus Musah on the wing, shifting Tim Weah to the left wing and even Antonee Robinson cutting into midfield in possession like a Pep Guardiola fullback could all be seen against Jamaica and they worked to great effect. It even had the usual dash of Pochettino's unorthodox methods as it was referenced on the TNT broadcast that Weah was on the left because he's left-eye dominant. Pochettino has an assistant coach who checks for eye dominance, leading to Weah's flip."

Pochettino's team will face Panama in the Nations League semifinals, with Panama beating Costa Rica 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw on Monday at home. Canada breezed through their quarterfinal tie over Suriname with a 4-0 aggregate score, setting them up for the most anticipated semifinal in Southern California – a meeting against Mexico.

El Tri survived a 2-0 deficit in Honduras on Friday by winning 4-0 at home on Tuesday, taking things up a notch in the process. While they played a fairly even game in San Pedro Sula last week, Mexico were the dominant side from start to finish in Toluca on Tuesday with 76.7% of the ball. That translated into 27 shots and 3.03 expected goals, far more than Honduras' five shots and 0.11 expected goals. It marked another early sign of strength since Javier Aguirre returned for his third managerial spell with Mexico in September, which has seen the team pick things up in meaningful games like last month's friendly win against the USMNT. A semifinal match against Canada could serve as another crucial progress report for Aguiree's team, especially after the sides drew 0-0 in a September friendly.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

👋 Guardiola stays, Martino leaves

There's apparently no better time than an international window for some managerial news, with big news breaking on both sides of Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola to stay put

The saga over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City future is over, with the six-time Premier League champion reportedly agreeing to a one year deal and an option year that could keep him at Etihad Stadium until 2027.

His current deal expired at the end of this season and for some time, it appeared that Guardiola would exit the club after a game-changing nine year spell that included winning the club's first UEFA Champions League title. His choice to stay, though, will ensure City have some continuity over the next couple of years that could be helpful considering the circumstances. Looking solely at the short term, City are in the midst of a four game losing streak that has forced questions about their credentials as title contenders and suggestions that a rebuild might be needed.

In the long term, though, Guaridola will be a source of stability after sporting director Txiki Begiristain leaves the club at the end of the season, likely leaving his successor with the responsibility of that rebuild. The biggest source of uncertainty Guardiola could have to steer City through, though, is the looming punishment over the club's 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules. A verdict is expected some time this season, though the severity of any punishment remains up the air.

Tata Martino to exit Inter Miami

Despite a record-breaking regular season with Inter Miami, head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino will reportedly leave the club after their first round exit in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Martino joined the club in June 2023 and was in some ways a precursor to the arrival of Lionel Messi and his ex-Barcelona teammates. Messi and company had familiarity with Martino, who was the Barcelona manager from 2013 to 2014 and then took charge of Argentina through the 2016 Copa America. It is unclear, though, what direction Miami will go in after Martino's exit, and if a connection to Messi and company will be on the list of qualifications.

Messi only has one year, plus an option year, left on his deal so Miami also have the option of looking towards their post-Messi future with Martino's successor. The club has signed some notable younger players in recent seasons, in contrast to the influx of veteran talent they added to the roster over the last year or so. The search for a new coach, though, will likely offer a glimpse at what Miami's priorities are both in the short term and the long term as they and MLS try to maximize the league's Messi era.

🔗  Top Stories

💰 Kang's donation: Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang donated $30 million to U.S. Soccer, money that will fuel the development of young female players and women in coaching, refereeing and technical staff roles.

❌ Bentancur ban: Tottenham Hotspur are appealing Rodrigo Bentancur's seven match ban for comments referencing teammate Son Heung-min's "ethnic origin."

🌴 Martino leaves Miami: With Tata Martino's Inter Miami exit, here's a look at what should be the qualifications for his successor.

🏆 NWSL awards: With the countdown to Saturday's NWSL Championship underway, here's a glance at who could win some of the league's biggest end-of-year awards.

🇺🇸 Dest's impact: After the USMNT's encouraging performance against Jamaica on Monday, it feels like things could go up a level when Sergino Dest returns from his ACL injury.

🔮 Yamal's future: Lamine Yamal is arguably the sport's breakout star of the year, which forces the question: What could be next for the rising talent?

🇧🇷 Neymar retrospective: Neymar is one of the brightest stars of his generation, but should he also have been a Ballon d'Or contender?

🗣️ Pulisic's celebration: USMNT star Christian Pulisic said his goal celebration was "not political" after he did a dance inspired by president-elect Donald Trump.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• UEFA Women's Champions League: Lyon vs. Roma, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Lyon to win 3-0 (+650) – To no one's surprise, Lyon are flying through the group stages of the UEFA Women's Champions League once again and there's little reason to expect that to stop any time soon. They already demonstrated their superiority over Roma with a 3-0 win last week, so a matching result at home could be on the way.
• UEFA Women's Champions League: St. Polten vs. Barcelona, Thursday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: More than 5.5 goals scored (+140) – Reigning European champions Barcelona are the heavy favorites in this game, especially so after beating St. Polten 7-0 a week ago. Expect another lopsided result for Barcelona, especially as they continue to duke it out with Manchester City for top spot in Group D.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.   

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