Ahead of the January camp, GOAL breaks down five key numbers in the early days of Pochettino's era as the USMNT boss

Expectations soared when Mauricio Pochettino took the USMNT job in September 2024. Here was an elite European manager, formerly of PSG, Chelsea and Tottenham. A serial winner, known for teams that played good soccer, and understanding that winning was always going to be the mandate in a complicated job.

Whether those have been met surpassed or not is up for debate, and it might just be too early to tell. Pochettino has won three of his first four matches at the helm, and the U.S look like more of a team than they have in years. The next two tests including upcoming matches against Venezuela on Jan. 18 and Costa Rica on Jan. 22.

There certainly have been good vibes. A new manager comes in, develops a culture, reenergizes a group. We have heard this story before. But there are also the technicalities, the numbers of figures that back it all up. And all of the right numbers – possession, shots, chance creation – look promising. There is a statistical basis here to believe that this is something more than merely a good start.

GOAL breaks down five key numbers in the early days of Pochettino's era as the USMNT boss.

Imagn5: The number of shots on goal after extended build up with the ball

In the USMNT's 4-2 win over Jamaica on Nov. 18, Pochettino's side set a numerical first. Stick with us here. Per , Over the course of 90 minutes, the USMNT attempted five shots after a build up of 10 or more passes – the most since Opta began tracking stats in 2010.

Simple, right? But what might be a strange jumble of digits tells a far more significant story. In effect, this speaks to a larger sense of patience with the ball. Although professional athletes make it look rather easy – spoiler, it's their job to do so – keeping the ball for long periods of time against organized defenses is difficult work.

Completing 10 passes, in effect having every player touch the ball before creating a goalscoring chance, is not easy – especially when your opponent's sole job is to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net. To complete one or two moves of that caliber would be a fine evening's work for the USMNT. Doing it five times in a 4-2 win looks like something close to tactical dominance.

AdvertisementGetty Images3: Number of positions Antonee Robinson has played

So much of the rhetoric in Gregg Berhalter's final days with the USMNT was centered around how the former Crew manager struggled to find a way to get 11 players on the pitch in their best positions. The manager had his favorites, and even if they were used slightly awkwardly, it mattered little. Players were told where to play – and stuck to their spots.

Enter Pochettino, who has quickly done away with that notion. Antonee Robinson is the perfect example. In four games, a player who is nominally a left back has played in three positions. The first, against Panama, he functioned as a left winger, creating chances and joining the attack. The second, in a fairly dire defeat to Mexico – with the team depleted, as players such as Christian Pulisic headed back to their clubs – he was an orthodox defender of sorts, staying back, holding the line, and soaking up pressure. And then, against Jamaica, he tucked in to a central midfield role, helping out in build up to account for Tim Weah's presence on the left.

And he's one of many that have done similar things. Yunus Musah has switched between central midfield and right wing. Tim Ream has played both left and center back. Pulisic is constantly floating about. The result is a tactically unpredictable team.

(C)Getty Images59: Percentage of possession for the USMNT

Most managers will tell you that they want their team to have the ball. That's pretty much the mandate in soccer these days. Hold onto it when you have it, create pretty chances, win games, and send the fans home happy. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Matchups, player pools and tactical tweaks enforce change.

Not for Pochettino. Although the USMNT aren't quite the pressing machine that some had predicted, they are remarkably diligent and controlled in possession. Across his first four fixtures, the USMNT has averaged 59 percent of the possession. They had more of the ball than El Tri . Towards the end of Berhalter's tenure, that crucial stat changed. At first, the USMNT averaged over 60 percent in friendlies. By the end of his tenure, the U.S. were hovering around 50. In effect, they had lost control. Pochettino has made it a priorty.

Getty3: The number of goals by Ricardo Pepi in three games

What to make of Ricardo Pepi? When he burst onto the scene as a teenager, he was regarded as the next great hope at striker for the U.S. Then came a puzzling regression, a lack of faith from his previous manager, and the addition of Folarin Balogun. A sure thing had become a wavering talent.

Not so much anymore. Pepi is loving life in general this season – and seems set for a move away from PSV thanks to his presence near the top of the Eredivisie scoring charts.

It is no different under Pochettino. Pepi has found the net three times in three games for his new manager, only two of them starts. Across those three appearances, he has taken five shots. Four have been on target. Piece it all together, and he is now just the fourth player to score 12 goal for the USMNT before turning 22. The other names on that list? Landon Donovan, Pulisic and Jozy Altidore. That's not bad company for a player in fine form under a new manager.