MIAMI — Mauricio Pochettino is bound for Manchester United, leaving the United States men's national team job for a return to the Premier League.
But he and his staff are still on the touchline for two more matches.
Games against Haiti on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17 are Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The winner of the series moves into March's Nations League Final Four and secures a spot in the 2027 Gold Cup, the continental championship.
With Pochettino announcing his departure on Friday, Nov. 13, the manager said he worked with his future employers to make sure he didn't leave the U.S. in the lurch and without a coach, calling the Haiti quarterfinal "a very natural way to finish our partnership."
"To be here is an honor for us to defend that badge,
defend the players and the staff," Pochettino said at his Nov. 13 news conference. "They understand. I think we need to play tomorrow and the next game. We’re not thinking about the result, because we’re thinking about performance.
"For sure, they’re going to perform and then you know very well that games are games, soccer is soccer and there are aspects sometimes you can’t control but we are optimistic."
Steve Cherundolo, a former U.S. international now working as the U-23 coach after leading LAFC, will take over as the interim for a December friendly the U.S. has scheduled with Jamaica.
How to watch Haiti vs. USMNT in Concacaf Nations League play
- When: Saturday, November 14
- Where: Nu Stadium (Miami, United States)
- Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
- Channel/streaming: TNT (Watch on Sling TV), truTV, Telemundo (Watch LIVE on Fubo), HBO Max, Universo, Peacock (WATCH HERE)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Mauricio Pochettino coaching the USMNT vs. Haiti today?
