Little by little building something. The objective is 2026," Pochettino said of a game where Musah scored his first U.S. national team goal in his 42nd appearance. “It's only the first step.”

Mauricio Pochettino said he was happy, though at times it was hard to tell. Yes, the United States men's national team had prevailed 2-0 over Panama in his first match in charge. But what had transpired was definitely a mixed bag.

The Mauricio Pochettino U.S. men's national team era has officially begun, kicking off with a win over CONCACAF foes Panama at Q2 Stadium in an international friendly. Second-half goals from Yunus Musah—his first USMNT goal in his 42nd appearance—and Ricardo Pepi were enough for the Stars and Stripes to seal a 2–0 victory over Panama.