For Kasey Keller, it’s a question of math. U.S. Soccer has invested multiples more than it has in the past for the men’s national team manager, with Mauricio Pochettino making a reported $6 million per year. Where is the return on that investment?
It’s a fair question, and one Keller is asking.
“If you have tripled or quadrupled the salary for this position, you would expect triple or quadruple benefit from that, just in terms of return on investment. Your return on investment has been horrible, completely horrible. I mean, that’s just on a results factor. I’m not looking at everything else,” the ESPN FC analyst tells GOAL.
Suffice to say, the former USMNT goalkeeper has been far from impressed by the national team. Some of his criticism is fair. Pochettino’s first year in charge has been marred by inconsistent results against good teams, high profile disputes with his best player, and losses in the handful of games that really meant anything.
Pochettino, despite winning five straight in the Gold Cup, has only won nine of 16 games since taking over the program last September. A few good performances from backups can’t mask that, Keller insists.
“You’re supposed to tell me beating the 100 and 115th-ranked team in the world 4-0, I’m supposed to get excited now?” he said. “I’m not that stupid. I was a goalkeeper, but I’m not that stupid.”
It’s been a tricky few months in the USMNT sphere, challenging to fully evaluate. The good news, for some, is that there could be change. Matt Turner’s return to the New England Revolution could add a little verve to the goalkeeping competition. Christian Pulisic has his chance to strut his stuff in club colors again, and his national team return seems imminent, with September friendlies ahead.
The vibes simply have to remain upbeat, Keller argues – even if the reality suggests otherwise. With 10 months to go until the 2026 World Cup, there’s little other choice.
Keller discussed the state of the USMNT, Turner’s return to MLS and Son Heung-Min’s seemingly imminent arrival in the league in the the latest edition of Mic’d Upa recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
