The gathering was about a new group of players proving themselves to their coach but, as it turns out, the man in charge had plenty to take away, too
Mauricio Pochettino wasn't going to waste this chance and, the fact is, the U.S. manager couldn't really afford to. No matter what the outside world thinks of January camp, he could only see it as an opportunity. That opportunity didn't just extend to his players; it extended to everyone. Yes, Pochettino included.
Pochettino and the U.S. men's national team just wrapped up their annual January camp with two lopsided wins over Venezuela and Costa Rica. On the field, it went about as well as anyone could have hoped. A combined 6-1 scoreline, multiple different goalscorers, a clear style and identity – the games were nothing short of ideal when taking into account both results and performance.
This camp wasn't just about the games, though. It was also about everything that went on outside of them. Yes, that process was huge for the players who were desperate to impress their new coach. It was even bigger for Pochettino and his staff, who, in many ways, are still getting used to life as the USMNT manager.
January camp was a chance for Pochettino to live in that setting for an extended period of time. No, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson weren't here, but, aside from the players, everyone else was. January was an opportunity for Pochettino to spend two weeks with his coaching staff, some of which he's known for years and others of which he's known for months. It was also a time for him to spend two weeks with everyone around a USMNT camp: folks in charge of logistics, social media, communications, and everything in between.
He joked about that ongoing connection after the win over Venezuela. One of the few things he and his staff had overlooked was penalty assignments, leading to some on-field confusion about who would take the spot kick when one was awarded early on.
"We clarified it at halftime, and I think you'll all see it because we record everything," he said with a smile. "It'll appear on Behind the Crest!"
Pochettino has familiarized himself with the USMNT's behind-the-scenes series but still finds himself in the introductory phase of this. He's still transitioning into his role as USMNT boss, having only had two camps prior to the one he just completed. And, because of that, January was immensely helpful for a coach who, in many ways, is still adjusting to life as the USMNT boss.
"It was amazing," Pochettino said of January camp. "We are working really well together. We try to, every time, connect and get to know each other better, and I think we are very efficient in the way that we want to work. At the same time, I think the mood of the camp was always really, really good with people that are professional, and that we try to translate to the players. The players feel that and, when the player feels that, we are a group that is very solid. Working in this way, I think, is contagious."
Getty Images SportPochettino's USMNT beginnings
It’s been nearly four and a half months since Pochettino was introduced as the USMNT head coach. In that time, he’s overseen just six matches. The first two took place during international breaks, where week-long camps culminated in crucial games. However, this January camp presented a unique opportunity for Pochettino — a chance to approach things differently.
For Pochettino and his staff, this two-week camp in Florida provided an invaluable opportunity to evaluate MLS players within the national team pool. As Pochettino looks to broaden the roster ahead of the inevitable pre-World Cup narrowing, the camp also allowed the behind-the-scenes team to collaborate more extensively. This extended period of preparation came as a welcome change following the chaotic schedules of October and November.
October, Pochettino's first matches as manager, began with a home match in Austin before a trip south to Guadalajara to take on Mexico. November featured must-win matches against Jamaica, one home and one away.
This camp was a bit more relaxed and offered time for those who have been working together behind the scenes to spend just a bit more time together. Pochettino, of course, spent plenty of time with his players, picking their brains on their hopes and dreams as many look to kickstart their international careers. He also had the chance to pick the brains of everyone else involved with the USMNT to get an even better idea of how the machine works.
"He's been class, man," Zack Steffen, one of the few players in January camp to have previously worked under Pochettino, told GOAL. "He's been amazing. It's like he's been with us for way longer than just four or four or five months."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBuilding on foundations
Tim Ream was another player who was in this January camp and had previously gotten the chance to join a Pochettino-led camp. It struck him right away: the heightened expectations and standards remained the same.
"[The coaching staff] has been the same as they were the first two camps," Ream told GOAL. "They're making sure that they're talking to everybody individually, getting to know everybody off the field, and obviously, keeping a watchful eye over everybody on the field to make sure that everybody's doing the right things putting in the work."
Since his arrival, Pochettino has stressed the importance of building a culture. Every friendly will be treated as if it has meaning. Every training session will feel important because it is. Pochettino knows as well as anyone that the USMNT is in a race against time heading into the World Cup, and the way to get ahead in that race is to build a culture that is consistent and resonates.
That applied to the January camp, too.
There were some differences, though. Fitness was a priority, at least for the first week or so. Players in January camp were coming fresh off an MLS offseason, so getting their legs back under them was an initial priority. Still, in the USMNT's two-week gathering, the attention to detail was paramount. Even as the focus turned towards set pieces or tactics, the same amount of energy was demanded by Pochettino and his staff.
In turn, he gave that same amount of energy back. It would be easy for Pochettino to say that this camp was loaded with outsiders, with players he likely wouldn't be relying on come the summer of 2026. He didn't treat it that way. Instead, he went through the same processes he used to introduce himself to everyone back in October, while having the same sort of talks with this MLS-based squad as he did with the Euro-heavy ones back in the fall. Pochettin and his staff wanted to get to know these players, and vice-versa.
"For the players it's important," Pochettino said, "But for us as a technical team it's a little more important because being able to extend the list of players we already know to have the possibility to select in the future is incredible. The whole technical team is here, and it's not the same seeing players in their teams, how they perform, then having them here for two weeks and getting to know them."
In many ways, January camp was about continuing to build a culture. From top to bottom, Pochettino wanted everyone to feel like they represented the USMNT and, in turn, be held to USMNT standards.
"In terms of their interactions with everybody, they're the same, which is great to see," Ream said. "It doesn't matter who you are, where you're playing, what you're doing, where you're coming from, they treat everybody the same. That's a great trait from them and their staff, and something that they've just continued on with throughout this January camp."
That's a stark contrast from Jurgen Klinsmann's time with the U.S. national team. The German, who was the highest-profile foreign manager to lead the U.S. outside of Pochettino, was critical of the January camp setup.
“As coaches, we didn’t want to have the January camp either,” he said via . “January camp is there to reduce the amount of off-time for the MLS players because it’s too long. The main reason why the Federation does the January camp is because they have two television slots to fulfill.”
He added, "The good thing about the January camp was to see some players you haven’t seen before. Some young players, promising players, and see how far they can take it and scout for the next upcoming games."
“Geoff Cameron was one of those players that I saw for the first time in the January camp. So you were happy to find a couple of players like that. But to do the work, to put in the work, was unfortunately necessary."
Getty Images SportInspiring confidence
More than anyone, the players themselves know where they stand. Aside from a select few in this January camp squad, the players know they're on the outside looking in heading towards 2026. Some are young stars who were fighting for their first chance. Others were veterans fighting for one more. All had seen Pochettino build his reputation in Europe, and all were now eager to impress him.
From the start, though, Pochettino used that reputation for good. In his first interactions with his younger callups, Pochettino made it a point to lift them up and build a base layer of confidence to kickstart the camp.
Patrick Agyemang was one of the big beneficiaries of that confidence boost. He entered camp as one of the most inexperienced players on the professional level. He ended it with two goals on his resume and a very real chance at getting more USMNT opportunities down the line.
"When I'm talking to Pochettino and his staff and the way they talk to me, I could feel that they see something in me and they want me to continue progressing," Agyemang told GOAL. " They make me feel like I'm getting somewhere, but that I'm not there yet.
"He encourages us to play our game. He said to me, 'I brought you here to play you, to be you, to express yourself. Do the right things defensively and work hard and put the pressure on, but play, have fun, enjoy yourself and show what you can do'."
It was those words that helped inspire Agyemang to two goals in the January camp, scoring against both Venezuela and Costa Rica.
"Once he said that, I felt like I was chilling! I know that going forward, I can just show how I play the game, and that's been so great. It's been a wonderful, wonderful experience," he said.
Agyemang wasn't the only one to receive that message. Pochettino gave a similar one to Diego Luna, another of the camp's big winners.
"He just told me that he knows who I am and knows how I play and that he wants me to express myself," Luna told GOAL. "He doesn't want me to hide. He wants to put me in the best position for me to showcase myself and to be that guy, to create chances for the team, to have fun and be a playmaker. He wants me to make stuff happen, and he's allowing me to have the freedom to be able to do that."
That message was clear: Pochettino knows who the players are and why they're here, so what else is there for them to worry about? That message went a long way to inspire several players, including the two that might have boosted their stocks more than anyone this January.
Getty ImagesThe on-field results
All of that sounds good in theory — developing relationships, building confidence, and creating a culture — but it has to translate into something tangible, right? After all, January camp wasn’t just a vacation or a team-building retreat; it was a soccer camp, with actual games on the schedule.
The results were there. Against Venezuela, the USMNT benefitted from several strong individual performances. Jack McGlynn's stunning goal will be played back at the end of the year as a Goal of the Year contender. Agyemang dazzled in his debut. Matko Miljevic shook off an early penalty miss to show his skillset and score. It ended as a 3-0 win and a job well done.
The win over Costa Rica was just as good. That one finished 3-1 with strong performances spread all over the field. Steffen was fantastic in goal, making two highlight-reel saves. Agyemang joined Caden Clark and Brian White on the scoresheet, while a bloodied-up Luna's assist on the latter's opener showed both his finesse and his toughness. Emeka Eneli ran the midfield while the veteran centerback duo of Ream and Zimmerman looked like they'd never missed a beat.
Ultimately, the results were there and, at the end of the day, that's what was arguably most important to Pochettino as he lays down that foundation of a culture.