Jeff Carlisle Apr 17, 2026, 07:00 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. There was a time when hiring a men's national team manager of Mauricio Pochettino's background seemed to be beyond the reach of the U.S. Soccer Federation. It was too ... everything. Too ambitious. Too expensive. Too unrealistic. Pochettino's hiring changed all that. The Argentine's arrival was made possible by a philosophical sea change within the federation that used different funding streams -- namely private donors, as well as increased commercial revenues -- to help meet the financial requirements. It also signified an increase in ambition, namely that the U.S. men's national team program could reach for a top-tier manager and have that interest be reciprocated. The question now is: Has the bar been raised permanently and will U.S. Soccer continue to operate in this manner, or was the Pochettino hire simply a one-off designed to fully leverage the co-hosting of a FIFA World Cup ?…