AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) celebrated a successful debut for their new coach, Mauricio Pochettino, with a victory.

On Saturday night, the team won 2-0 against Panama, currently ranked 37th globally, which is 19 spots behind the USMNT. While this might not seem like a remarkable achievement, especially considering the USMNT’s recent poor form, having gone winless in seven of their last ten games, they are eager to welcome any positive result.

This match revealed improvements for the USMNT, who missed several opportunities in the first half before Yunus Musah scored in the 49th minute. Tim Ream sent a high pass to Antonee Robinson, who controlled it near the sideline and then passed to Christian Pulisic.

Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson executed a quick exchange before Pulisic found Musah making a run in the box. Musah found the back of the net, marking his first goal for the USMNT in 42 appearances.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner played a crucial role in maintaining the lead by making several saves, including two rapid-fire shots from close proximity shortly after Musah’s goal. After deflecting the first shot, Turner managed to block the second with his feet. Panama made a late attempt to score, but José Fajardo’s shot missed the target. Ricardo Pepi later secured an insurance goal during stoppage time.

The USMNT is set to face their long-standing rivals, El Tri, in Guadalajara, Mexico for a friendly on Tuesday night. Pochettino’s first official match in a competitive setting is slated for next month, though details about the opponent and venue for the Nations League quarterfinal remain undisclosed.

The home game is scheduled for November 18 in St. Louis.

Following a disappointing performance at Copa America this summer, which included an unexpected defeat to Panama, U.S. Soccer made the decision to part ways with coach Gregg Berhalter and pursue Pochettino. Bringing in a manager of Pochettino’s caliber—one of the most successful in European club soccer—was a significant and bold move, especially considering that the United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with expectations of elevating soccer’s profile in the country as the 1994 tournament once did.

Although soccer’s standing has improved significantly over the past 30 years, it still trails behind the NFL and NBA in popularity, and the talent pool remains underdeveloped for a country of this size. A successful run in 2026 could potentially change the landscape—but only if the USMNT can find a better path forward.

Pochettino emphasized that this first training camp was about establishing relationships with the players, with the hope that the players also become familiar with him and his coaching staff. Though he didn’t introduce any drastic changes in his lineup, he surprised some by leaving regular starter Weston McKennie on the bench.

The USMNT displayed more energy than during their summer matches, but some familiar patterns of carelessness were evident, especially in the first half. Robinson made a dangerous cross into the box early in the match, but no one was there to capitalize. Toward the end of the half, Josh Sargent missed a clear opportunity to score.

However, the USMNT managed to secure the win, a feat they have struggled with recently. This alone marks Pochettino’s debut as a notable success.