The Rondo: Assessing Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT, making Juventus-Milan predictions and making sense of MLS playoffs

Tom Hindle: That something is forming here! Let’s be honest, it’s Jamaica. Sure, there are some Premier League talents here, but when Leon Bailey – he of zero goals this year – is your biggest threat, then you’re really not all that. So, the USMNT had no excuses to not win against the Reggae Boyz. It wasn’t always super sexy, but there’s a buzz around the side, and they took care of business. New gaffer, new vibes, new setup. Nothing revolutionary, but a decent start nonetheless.

Jacob Schneider: Pochettino has a system and the players are bought in. Simply put, that’s the takeaway. Singularly, was very impressed with Tanner Tessmann. Talks of Spurs wanting to sign Johnny Cardoso make sense, but come next summer, the Lyon man might be the one teams regret not pursuing.

Ryan Tolmich: The USMNT finally has a competitor for Tyler Adams. After several years of really struggling to find another midfield to do that dirty work, Tanner Tessmann shined in that role against Jamaica, putting in two performances that will change the narrative around him. It remains to be seen how he would do against the elite, and Adams has proven he can do it at that level, which is why he’s still the guy. For now. Even so, Tessmann is in the mix, having all but secured his spot in the USMNT squad going forward.

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  Has Pochettino already implemented his style of play?

  TH: Yes, but not in the way we all thought. There are a lot of modern tactical ideas on display here: heavy rotations, smart use of space, inverted full backs and such. That was all expected. Defensively, though, things have been a little more unpredictable. That ferocious high press we all expected after a couple of reasonably intense training sessions isn’t really there, with the USMNT playing it a little safer than the wider world assumed. Otherwise, this looks a bit like a Poch team, which is cool. Bring on the bigger games.

  JS: Absolutely. It was explained when he lined up Tim Weah on the left due to “ocular reasons” – what does that even mean? We don’t know, but it absolutely worked out. Factor in the pressing changes, the two central defenders overlapping each other’s movement in the box – the signs are all there, and they’re all impressive.

  RT: Absolutely. This most recent game, beating Jamaica 4-2 in St. Louis after winning the first leg in Kingston, felt like his true arrival. That’s the moment in which his ideas really started to take hold. The tactical tweaks, the style of play, the quality on display – this was Pochettino shining through. The U.S. attempted five shots after a build-up of at least 10 passes – that highlights the patterns of play that were on display. It’s all a work in progress, but you can see the vision. Now, it’s about continuing to execute on that vision.
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  What’s your prediction for Juventus-Milan?

  TH: It’s a really tough one to call. If it wasn’t at San Siro, you’d say Juventus really should win this thing. They’re a better and deeper side, while Milan have been maddeningly inconsistent. But the home field advantage could really count for something, especially if Milan grab an early goal, or put the pressure on. Let’s be boring, say it’s some sort of 1-1 draw – with a goal from Christian Pulisic for the Rossonieri.

  JS: Pulisic will be the best attacker on the field, but the Bianconeri will sport the best team. Juventus will take the match 3-1, with a brace from Dusan Vlahovic and a third from Manuel Locatelli off a set piece, while Christian will bag Milan’s lone effort.

  RT: Serie A is wide open, so whoever win this may look back at it as the moment their season changed. Same for the loser, too, particularly if it’s Milan, who clearly need this more than their black-and-white counterparts. Because of that, Pulisic and Milan should be up for it, so we’ll go with a 2-1 win at home that keeps them in the Scudetto picture.

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  With Miami out, who will be MLS Conference finalists?

  TH: In the East, let’s go with Atlanta-NYCFC. The Five Stripes knocked Miami out and it was all very fun, and they might just have the tools to go a little further here. Sure, Orlando is a different kind of opponent, but if Atlanta set up to hit on the break – and get another top showing from Brad Guzan – then things might just happen. As for the West, it’ll be the two LA teams. Minnesota are playing some good stuff at the moment, but the Galaxy are just far too good going forward. LAFC, meanwhile, are pretty well balanced. And if Olivier Giroud remembers how to play football again, they will be MLS Cup faves.

  JS: The Sounders will beat LAFC, and the Galaxy will defeat Minnesota FC in the West. In the East, Orlando will fall to Atlanta while NYCFC will best the Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby. However, you have to worry that the Galaxy are too cocky after Round One, and if Atlanta’s magic will wear off after knocking out Messi.

  RT: In the West, this is all teeing up for El Trafico, which would be one of the wildest conference finals this league can put on. Both Seattle and Minnesota have the ability to play spoiler, but it really does seem as if it’s Los Angeles’ year – we’ll just have to find out which side of LA. In the East, Atlanta has real “Team of Destiny” vibes, so we’ll move them past Orlando. And, in the Hudson River Derby, anything can happen, so we’ll take NYCFC due to home-field advantage.