Pulisic Scores Twice As USMNT Crushes Haiti 6-0
· Yahoo Sports
Christian Pulisic scored two goals in just two minutes to push the United States men’s national team to a dominant 6-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday night. The win came in Miami during the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, marking the biggest rout of Mauricio Pochettino’s two years leading the squad. This result sets up a formality for the return leg in Cincinnati on Tuesday, where the current coach will take charge for the very last time.
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The buildup to this series carried heavy weight because Pochettino is leaving after only three months of a new four-year contract to become the manager of Manchester United, according to ESPN. Players showed no signs of distraction despite the looming change in leadership. Auston Trusty, who scored the opening goal from a corner kick in the 10th minute, spoke to TNT about the team’s focus on their departing coach.
“We played for him,” Trusty told TNT. “Obviously he’s our gaffer. Obviously it’s sad that he’s moving on. Obviously it’s a great opportunity that he is moving on into, but we play for him. It’s his team, it’s his identity.” Trusty also noted that the mindset remains to win every single game and keep fighting no matter how large the lead becomes.
Pulisic returned to action for the first time since suffering an injury during a round-of-16 exit at the World Cup. Fourth on the team’s all-time leading scorers list, he surpassed Eric Wynalda thanks to his two second-half strikes. Five goals followed in a one-sided second half, with Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun rounding out the scoring alongside a fourth goal from teenager Julian Hall. Hall netted his fourth goal in just five appearances, a game that officially cap-tied him to the U.S. after he was previously eligible to represent Poland.
A Final Sendoff in Miami
Haiti was technically the home team for Saturday match, but the fixture moved to Miami due to ongoing gang violence in the Caribbean nation. The U.S. players executed a plan that left the opposition with little chance to respond, proving that the team can perform at a high level even when the coaching future remains uncertain. Next March, the Nations League semifinals and final are set to occur, with the U.S. under a yet-to-be-named new coach.
While the team celebrates this massive win, attention shifts quickly to the search for the next leader. The United States Soccer Federation is reportedly pursuing Pep Guardiola aggressively, as initial negotiations are anticipated to begin next week. Since resigning as Manchester City’s manager in May 2026, Guardiola has been a highly-coveted free agent after securing 41 trophies over his 19 years managing in Europe. He reportedly turned down an offer of $11 million per season from Italy to take a year off.
Pochettino will coach the U.S. through its remaining Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti this week. Following the Tuesday game in Cincinnati, he departs for Manchester, leaving the U.S. head coaching job officially vacant. The United States’ next international camp is set for December, giving the federation time to finalize a deal with a new manager before the next competitive window opens.