Will Mauricio Pochettino help the USMNT recruit dual-nationals to increase depth of the U.S. player pool

Winning may be the primary objective of any coach, whether it may be at a club or a national team, but that doesn't mean that it's the only objective for them. Player recruitment, while it plays a large part in club soccer, also has a major role in international soccer where dual national recruitment can be key to upping available talent levels without waiting years for youth development. 

Dual nationals have been critical to the United States men's national team during the years with the likes of Sergino Dest, Folarin Balogun and Yunus Musah all being important additions to the side who were eligible to represent different nations. A key component of the USMNT under Gregg Berhalter was staying in contact with dual nationals and being clear about their roles which was something that was key in recruiting Brandon Vazquez.

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With Berhalter now gone and Mauricio Pochettino on the way in, there will be a different flavor to dual national recruitment -- in a good way. Players enjoy playing for Pochettino and while he expects a lot from them, he's a manager who has a History of helping his players get to where they need to be. Having experienced coaching both at midtable sides and at the highest levels of the Game, there also isn't much that the Argentine hasn't seen as he takes his first foray into international management.

Alongside Matt Crocker, this could be the beginning of quite the partnership. Discussing the future of your international career with a manager who has been to a Champions League final, coached at Paris Saint-Germain and improved young players makes it easy to be confident in where they can help you take your career. 

Combine that with a chance at playing in the 2026 World Cup, which could be the most attended in History, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and it's easy to see why any players eyes would light up. Pochettino being Argentinian could already help with keeping Benjamin Cremaschi who is on Argentina's radar due to his performances alongside Lionel Messi for Inter Miami. Luciano Acosta is another Argentine who is in the mix as he works through the process of becoming a citizen of the United States, which could add another chance creator to the player pool.

There's a balance between developing the youth players who were involved at the Olympics and winning now, but when the duo of Pochettino and Crocker worked together at Southampton, that's something that they understood. To win in 2026 requires doing what you can to build the best squad for then. A player to watch there is Luca Koleosho of Burnley. Currently an Italian youth international, Koleosho was born in the United States and is also eligible to represent Canada.

Winger may not be a weak position for the USMNT but with concerns over Tim Weah and Gio Reyna's playing time, it could become one in the near future. Adding a dynamic player would help improve the choices that Pochettino can make in his squad and also ensure that there are attackers who can come off the bench and change the game for the national team. Being able to rotate will also avoid the burnout that happened in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.