Yunus Musah's first international goal and a late strike from Ricardo Pepi gave Mauricio Pochettino a victory in his first game as United States men's national team coach, with a 2-0 win over Panama in a friendly in Austin, Texas, Saturday. The match in front of a near-capacity crowd of 20,239 at Q2 Stadium was the first of two friendlies for the U.S. in a four-day span that includes a game against Mexico on Tuesday in Guadalajara. The U.S. ended a four-game winless stretch and its first four-game home winless streak since a seven-game slide in 2010-11. A 52-year-old Argentine who managed Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino was hired last month to replace Gregg Berhalter, who was fired in July after the USMNT's first-round elimination at the Copa America. Pochettino was given a contract through the 2026 World Cup that the U.S. will co-host and is tasked with sparking a team that has not reached the World Cup quarterfinals since 2002. "Little by little building something. The objective is 2026," Pochettino said. "It's only the first step." Musah stylishly volleyed home a cross from AC Milan clubmate Christian Pulisic four minutes into the second half for the first goal of the Pochettino era and his first goal in 42 appearances. Antonee Robinson worked around defender Michael Murillo on the left flank and centered to Pulisic, who exchanged passes with Brenden Aaronson before finding Musah to redirect the ball with a right-foot volley past Orlando Mosquera from 4 yards. Pulisic played a match with his eighth U.S. coach, a record for an American player. Three second-half subs combined for the second goal. Malik Tillman brought down a long ball from goalkeeper Matt Turner and passed to Haji Wright, who crossed. A Texas native, Pepi slid the ball through Mosquera's legs for his 11th goal in 31 appearances. The Pochettino party twice came close to being spoiled. Turner produced an impressive double save to keep Panama at bay just minutes after the U.S. took the lead. And U.S. hearts were in mouth late on, too, as substitute José Fajardo missed a golden chance to bring Panama level. Tim Ream captained the Americans one week after his 37th birthday and became the oldest U.S. field player since Preki in 2001. Forward Josh Sargent made his first start since the 2022 group stage final against Iran. Mexican referee Katia Garcia was believed to be the first woman to referee a U.S. men's national team match. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who hasn't played for the U.S. since the last World Cup qualifiers in March 2022, did not dress because of what the U.S. Soccer Federation said was a minor injury. Defender Marlon Fossey, who did not train on the field in recent days, also didn't dress. ## Pochettino's Training Intensity: A Shift from Berhalter U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Zack Steffen became the latest player to note the difference in training sessions under Mauricio Pochettino, who is leading his first camp after officially being named the new head coach last month. Steffen is back with the national team for the first time since March 2022 under Gregg Berhalter, and the introduction of a new head coach means the differences between the goalkeeper's last USMNT outing and this one were going to be magnified. Steffen, though, notes that Pochettino is not just different from Berhalter – he's different from any coach he's had so far. "I'd say the biggest surprise has been that keeper training has been different than anything that I've had in the past and it's all good," the former Manchester City goalkeeper said Thursday on CBS Sports Golazo Network's Morning Footy. "It's tough, it's different but it's all different tools that I can keep in my toolshed for games and trainings." Steffen's comments are in line with his USMNT colleagues, several of whom say Pochettino leads a more intense training session. "We had a pretty long session, I'd say one of the longer ones we've had with the national team setup so just working on basics, looked at a few things from [Monday's] training and reviewed that," veteran defender Tim Ream said in a press conference on Tuesday. "As a result, they worked in some movement things and connection things with the back line and the midfielders, the attackers all went together and worked on a few things. Just really getting their ideas into our heads and into our understanding to make sure we're all on the same page going forward." Pochettino, who works alongside goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez, has spent much of his first camp having one-on-one meetings with players, and Steffen said his conversation with the new head coach involved some tactical specifics. "We had a good meeting yesterday, we had a good meeting the first day," Steffen said. "Just about the No. 1 goal is to save shots, defend the goal and if we can play out, then we play out but there's no need to force it but ultimately, our job is to keep the ball out of the back of the net." ## A New Era for the USMNT Goalkeepers Though Pochettino is working with a roster full of familiar faces for his first camp, the Argentine's hire could shake up the wider USMNT player pool. That includes in the goalkeeper position, where Steffen was once first choice but was unseated by Matt Turner ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Turner remained Berhalter's pick for the rest of his tenure as the head coach, but a string of unimpressive performances and his lack of playing time at the club level means the position is an area of focus as Pochettino builds towards 2026. Steffen is someone to keep an eye on not only through his inclusion on this month's roster but because he is a regular starter for MLS' Colorado Rapids. Pochettino has left the door open for MLS players in his early weeks on the job, saying in a recent interview that he values playing time more than he rates the club players compete for. "There are many players who are in Europe and who don't play much and who don't compete," Pochettino said, per CNN. "And there are other players who are in MLS or in different leagues that compete. And perhaps those players are in better shape to perform than players who perhaps don't compete weekly." Pochettino's recent comments mean a handful of players are in the conversation. The other two goalkeepers in camp – the Columbus Crew's Patrick Schulte and Cardiff City's Ethan Horvath – have more game time than Turner this year, while another hopeful in Gabriel "Gaga" Slonina is a starter for Barnsley. The situation means Steffen has his eyes set on the No. 1 spot with the countdown to the World Cup officially underway. "That's my goal, to come in here and push everyone around me," he said. "Io lead and to use my experience to play my best football and get a chance at playing No. 1 and that's my goal." ## The US's 2-0 Win Over Panama: A Mixed Bag While the win is certainly positive, it shouldn't overshadow the fact that the U.S. had a less-than-stellar performance. The Americans struggled to control possession and create clear-cut scoring opportunities throughout the first half. While the second half saw some improvement, especially with the goals from Musah and Pepi, there were still signs of nervousness and a lack of fluidity in their play. Many observers believe that the U.S. midfield, particularly the central midfield pairing of Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio, lacked the dynamism and creativity needed to break down Panama's organized defense. "The passing tempo is better but we’re turning it over and over and over that way," one analyst commented. ## The US's New Era Under Pochettino: Building Toward 2026 This friendly was the first step in a long journey for Pochettino and the USMNT. As they prepare for the 2026 World Cup, the team has to address the weaknesses exposed in this game. While the goals from Musah and Pepi showed flashes of offensive potential, the overall performance left much to be desired. Pochettino will need to instill a more cohesive playing style that utilizes the team's strengths effectively, and fosters a more creative and dynamic midfield. The next challenge for the U.S. will be the friendly against Mexico on Tuesday. This will be a true test of Pochettino's coaching and the team's ability to adjust and adapt to a new era of American soccer.