Three years ago, the U.S. Soccer Federation published a dossier outlining its search for a men’s national team coach, saying the process used “advanced data analytics, sophisticated metrics, and cutting-edge hiring methods,” and highlighting Matt Crocker as the executive who led that effort, according to the federation.
The federation kept Gregg Berhalter after a six-month review following the 2022 World Cup, the document noted, then fired him a year later after the U.S. was eliminated in the group stage of the Copa America. Rather than repeat another data-heavy search, U.S. Soccer turned to a high-profile hire, with Citadel founder Ken Griffin helping to fund the recruitment of Mauricio Pochettino at a reported $6 million per year, the article said. Crocker later left the federation for a job in Saudi Arabia.
Pochettino, described in the piece as one of the most successful modern club coaches, shifted the U.S. team toward a more aggressive style: pushing high, pressing hard and scoring more goals. The article said he transformed how the U.S. played. Still, the team was knocked out of the World Cup in the round of 16, the same stage the Americans exited in each of the previous three tournaments.
The article argued that managers have a limited role at the international level: their job is to get a group of players to perform above their collective ability, usually by aligning personnel and tactics to amplify strengths and hide weaknesses. It noted practical constraints — national teams rarely get to pick players freely or practice together often — which commonly leads teams to adopt simplified, defense-first structures to protect against turnovers.
Using a range of methods, from analytics to outside hires and private funding, the federation altered its approach and personnel. The article concluded those changes did not change the outcome at the World Cup, suggesting the head coach alone cannot overcome the collective limitations of the squad.
