Kerry Zavagnin talks Pochettino and USMNT

Former Nat and long-time Sporting KC coach Kerry Zavagnin joins us to discuss Mauricio Pochettino and what he’s doing with the US Men’s National Team.

Thad and Robert go way back with Kerry in the 26 years he spent with Sporting KC and the Wizards as both a player and coach. So, we brought back an old friend to talk us through all the newfound optimism around the USMNT this World Cup.

As a former midfielder, KZ shares his thoughts on Malik Tillman, Gio Reyna, and what worked in the middle of the field during the dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay.

A lot of the credit for the performance, Zavagnin says, belongs to Pochettino. We dive into the contrasting coaching philosophy with his Gregg Berhalter and how he’s unlocked the right mentality with this team. The Yanks were confident and unburdened. They were playing like “children” as Poch put it.

Zavagnin didn’t put too much emphasis on the roster selection or players that were left out. Like Pochettino’s new favorite movie Miracle explains, it was about picking the right players to fit the right system.

The match on Friday against Australia will be no easy task. The Aussies are fired up to play the Americans and they proved to be a strong side against Türkiye.

Plus, we also discuss the rest of the action from around the World Cup 2026 and a legendary night in Kansas City with Messi’s magic.

Check out the full conversation on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts!

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