Mauricio Pochettino has arrived to revolutionize the USMNT. He has yet to coach his first game and has already stated that he will change the way things were done inside the locker room.

Today he announced the 25 players he has called up for the matches against Panama, on Saturday, October 12, and Mexico, on October 15.

The first Argentine coach in the history of the U.S. National Team is generating excitement among fans after his new team dropped to 18th place in the latest FIFA Ranking for September.

I’m not looking to be his friend, I’m his coach

Mauricio Pochettino’s first press conference indicated that he will be strict with his players and make it clear to them that none of them have their place assured at the USMNT; they have to earn it.

“I don’t want to be nice to the players,” Pochettino said sarcastically at the press conference.

Players already feel the difference with new tactician

The press present at the USMNT’s first training session under Pochettino mentioned that some players were not shy about sharing what the experience has been like under the new coach. In particular, there were two who spoke of the differences between the way the Argentinian works and that of the previous coach, Gregg Berhalter. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson agreed that the intensity of practice was much higher.

One thing that speaks well of the former PSG coach is that he approached some of the players called up individually to introduce himself and talk to them about what he is looking for from each one.

There are 19 players called up to the USMNT who play in European soccer, including Juventus’ Weston McKennie and AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah.

Some players who have not been called up for some time and are returning to the U.S. national team are Zack Steffen and Gianluca Busio. In Steffen’s case, Pochettino wants him to compete for the spot with Crystal Palace’s Matt Turner.