The USMNT absolutely demolished Haiti 6-0 on Saturday evening in Miami, but get this, it was Mauricio Pochettino’s penultimate match in charge. Seriously, the dude is bouncing for Manchester United after just two more games, leaving a project he signed on for through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. What even is happening? This dominant win, the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, put on full display everything he has built with the U.S. federation since he got hired back in 2024.
Pulisic and the Boys Went Wild
The United States men won big, completely brushing Haiti aside from start to finish. Christian Pulisic was an absolute monster, netting two goals himself and leading the counter-attack that set up another. But he wasn’t alone in the scoring frenzy. Julian Hall, Auston Trusty, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun all got on the scoresheet, too. And can we talk about Malik Tillman? The guy provided two assists, lighting up the attack. This could have been an even bigger blowout, no joke. Balogun had another goal controversially chalked off by a ridiculous VAR review. And somehow, Haiti winger Josue Casimir wasn’t sent off in the first half after slapping Sebastian Berhalter’s face. Seriously, how did the officials miss that? Haiti even had a goal wiped by VAR, but let’s be real, it barely mattered in a 6-0 rout.
Pochettino’s Real Legacy
This huge victory sets up the U.S. perfectly to advance to the Nations League final four in March. They just need to hold their aggregate advantage in the second leg in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The win was a perfect showcase of what Pochettino has brought to U.S. Soccer in his two plus years. The dude definitely hadn’t had enough time to elevate the USMNT against the top-tier opponents everyone hopes to challenge, so there’s a big debate about whether his time was a true success. But one thing is undeniable: under Pochettino, the U.S. finally started regularly dominating teams they should dominate. Gone are the struggles against inferior opposition. Think about it: controlling victories at the World Cup against Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer. Since then, they’ve piled up strong wins against Peru, Chile, Mexico, Canada, and now Haiti. He definitely built something, even if he’s not sticking around to see it fully through.
So, the question now is: can they finish the job in Cincinnati and secure that spot in the final four? And who steps in after Pochettino to keep this momentum rolling against lesser teams and maybe finally challenge the big boys? It’s gonna be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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