Mauricio Pochettino has Christian Pulisic to thank after winning first USMNT game

Mauricio Pochettino as the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) head coach with a 2-0 win over Panama - achieving what Gregg Berhalter couldn't in Copa America.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic was instrumental in the victory, setting up the first goal after 49 minutes, linking up with Brenden Aaronson and delivering a cross for to score.

It was Musah's maiden goal for the USMNT on his 42nd outing, and he had his club mate to thank. Substitute Ricardo Pepi sealed the win in the dying moments with a close-range shot that slipped under Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.

The USMNT deserved their win, but it all hinged on Pulisic's game-changing performance at the start of the second half. Former , and boss Pochettino had nothing but praise for Pulisic ahead of Saturday's match, and the captain didn't let his new boss down.

"I think he's a fantastic player, one of the best offensive players in the ," Pochettino said before the Panama clash. The USMNT coach later added: "I told him before to build a very good relationship with the club and try to help. And when we really need him, he needs to be in form, happy, strong and the quality is there because he has an enormous talent."

The atmosphere was electric with tension in the first half as Panama players could sense the USMNT wrestling with the weight of expectations, all whilst getting to grips with Pochettino's playbook. However, a rejuvenated USMNT emerged post-interval, inspired by .

USMNT's shot-stopper Matt Turner turned hero with an astonishing double save that personified the newfound conviction instilled by the fresh coaching regime. Flashback to 107 days prior, and the USMNT were licking their wounds from a bitter 2-1 loss to Panama in Copa America before a group stage exit prompted the sacking of Berhalter.

In comes decorated gaffer Pochettino – the former Tottenham, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain boss – now steering U. S. Soccer's ship towards a home 2026 World Cup, already leaving a striking imprint on the squad.

Post-Copa miseries persisted with a historic 2-1 home loss to Canada – a first since 1957 – followed by a stalemate against New Zealand.

But with Pochettino officially at the helm, defender Antonee Robinson noted a stark rise in intensity, remarking on October 8: "Yeah, straight away it seems a little bit more intense. Yesterday we were kind of straight into training and it was a tough session. So we were kind of, right away, we were here to work. So, it was definitely intense.

"[Pochettino] knows that we've got a short period of time to kind of understand the principles he wants us to play with and tactics and whatnot, which we've not really gotten into yet. So, yes, obviously small steps, but it definitely feels like camp's going to be a period where, we'll have time to enjoy it, but we're going to work hard and really build towards success."