Mauricio Pochettino climbs out of his office chair and wanders through the doors that lead on to a half-moon balcony. ‘Not bad,’ the USA coach says. Night is closing in and, in the dark waters below, a gaggle of surfers bob just off the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean.For now, this spot – 60 miles south of Los Angeles – is home for the USMNT and, every morning, one staff member heads down from the team hotel for a dip. Some of Pochettino’s players have been relaxing on the beach, too.But the head coach is happier here – up on the rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. ‘It’s a little bit dangerous,’ Pochettino says. The currents can be powerful around here, in fairness. So instead, Pochettino would rather ride the wave of emotion and optimism that – he hopes – can carry the United States towards the latter stages of a home World Cup.But there is a surfboard in the corner of his office. It was designed by one of the hotel chefs and, should his side go all the way, the Argentine has vowed to take it home. ‘No one was expecting the USA to perform [like this] in the first two games. The whole world has paid attention,’ Pochettino begins. ‘The country is waking up and starts to love and feel the passion about [soccer]. Be careful, because the potential is massive.’There is a long way to go but wins over Paraguay and Australia saw the US top Group D even before defeat by Turkey, when Pochettino shuffled his pack in preparation for the last 32.Ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the USMNT manager sat down with the Daily Mail to discuss donkeys, bar hopping in Nashville, being neighbors with Folarin Balogun, Wayne Rooney’s fashion sense and how his team captured the imagination of supporters across this country. Before facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mauricio Pochettino spoke to the Daily Mail in LA The USA manager has turned heads with his tactics and his outfits at this summer’s World Cup England legend Wayne Rooney is such a fan of Pochettino’s fashion that he bought his getup’People say the legacy is only one result – win the World Cup and it’s going to be the legacy forever that changed football. No,’ he says. ‘For me, it’s already changed … I think that connection [with fans] is going to be forever.’It is not just Pochettino’s tactics that have turned heads. How about that new look? At this World Cup, the 54-year-old has appeared on the touchline in a branded blue overshirt and matching slacks that – when paired with his long hair and stubble – have sparked comparisons with a younger Russell Crowe. Among the fans of his style? Wayne Rooney.’When we come back to London, I will contact him. I will send my outfit,’ Pochettino says. ‘I need to know his size.’ Too late. The England legend has already bought the very same getup.Pochettino built a relationship with Hugo Boss while at Tottenham and Chelsea. That made it easier, he says, to broker a deal with US Soccer in time for America’s opening win over Paraguay, when the Argentine sprinted on to the pitch to join in the celebrations. A week later in Seattle, fans sang the name of Pochettino, who then led the crowd in chants of ‘U-S-A.’This hasn’t always been a happy marriage and it remains uncertain if Pochettino will remain beyond the end of his current deal, which expires this summer. He will wait until after the World Cup before deciding whether to take the extension that is on the table.But since arriving in September 2024, Pochettino has learned to love the peculiarities of his adopted home.’We needed to know the culture of the people here,’ he explains. So what did the 54-year-old learn, except that he enjoys country music? ‘You can express yourself and no one cares,’ the Argentine says. The United States secured top spot in Group D with victories over Paraguay and Australia Against Australia, fans sang Pochettino’s name and he led the crowd in chants of ‘U-S-A”You go to Nashville and you feel that you’re from Tennessee. You go to the bar, you make friends, you start to dance and sing. I don’t know if you’ve been to Nashville.’ Pochettino blows out his cheeks. ‘It’s special,’ he adds before flashing a playful glance at one of his assistants and bursting into laughter. Pochettino also sampled a college football clash between Ohio State and Texas. ‘Wow,’ he says. ‘You see we have the fans [in the US]. What happened that we don’t connect our soccer with these people? Because it’s so powerful.’ Now, he believes, with the help of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the USMNT is turning that tide.A small candle burns on Pochettino’s desk, not far from a bowl of lemons. He always keeps lemons in his office, believing they can absorb bad energy. ‘It’s not science,’ the Argentine admits. But after all he has achieved, why change tack?The wall of Pochettino’s office, meanwhile, is plastered with inspirational messages. Among them? ‘Talent has brought us here but it is heart, effort and unity that will make us unforgettable.’Almost every slogan speaks to his mission to transform the culture of this team – ‘What the f***?’ he thought after taking over – and make this country believe they can win the World Cup.’The motto of the federation is “Never Chase Reality”,’ Pochettino says. ‘I don’t agree too much with this, it’s a marketing thing.’ He prefers: ‘Be realistic and do the impossible.’He explains: ‘It’s so important to be realistic… if you don’t know who you are, if you don’t know your level, you are in a bubble.’ He gives an example: ‘If you believe you are a big horse, but in reality you are a donkey, you want to jump? You crash.’That matters because, so far at this World Cup, the superstars have stepped up – Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Vinicius Jr. The problem for Pochettino? He previously suggested no US players are in the world’s top 100. Lionel Messi is among the superstars who lit up the group stages of this World Cup Pochettino at Texas vs. Ohio State with his assistant, Jesus Perez, and Matthew McConaughey’If we want to perform and compete with the big names… what we need is to be all together – the power is [the] group,’ the Argentine says.That rather jars with how this country sees itself. ‘Everyone born here thinks that it is the best place of the world – the first to arrive to the moon, that dominate the world,’ Pochettino says. America always expects.So the manager and his staff worked hard to prepare this team – mentally – for the World Cup. ‘We are psychologists!’ Pochettino says.’When I was a kid – eight years old – I played free… we wanted to translate that idea – no pressure, no expectation, no responsibility to perform.’He could not allow his players to be crippled by fear. ‘To think: if I made a mistake, what is he going to say, my president? I’m going to affect the lives of millions of people,’ Pochettino explains.Well, in the group stages, few teams played with the freedom and bravery of the USMNT. Balogun led from the front.’It’s funny because Balo and I were neighbours [in London],’ Pochettino reveals. ‘He was playing with my son Maurizio, who was at Tottenham and he was at Arsenal. I said: ‘Balo, I remember you when you were 18!’The 24-year-old striker, who chose the US over England, scored twice against Paraguay and then created a goal against Australia. ‘So now being here together it’s a nice history. He’s a great guy and a great player,’ Pochettino continues.The manager was struck by Balogun’s ‘hunger’ when they first worked together. ‘We knew that he wanted to die for the team,’ Pochettino says. The USA manager used to be neighbors with Folarin Balogun, who is now his USMNT striker Balogun played against Pochettino’s son, Maurizio, when they were youth players at Arsenal and Tottenham, respectively But Balogun is far from the only US player embracing the biggest stage and it might have something to do with the sea air. The day after games, Pochettino’s team relax on the cliffs with coffee. Before long, the manager says, oxygen levels are replenished. They feel ready to play another 90 minutes.Now, though, after several weeks in Southern California, Pochettino’s players will hit the road. Should they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina near San Francisco, they face a clash with Belgium or Senegal in Seattle. Come through that and the USA will return to LA for a possible quarterfinal against Spain.Argentina, the defending champions, sit in the other side of the draw. ‘The good thing is we can only play in the final… thank God!’ Pochettino says. How do his compatriots feel about him coaching America?’The USA is like the big brother of us,’ Pochettino says. ‘The perception is “Oh, an Argentine guy is managing one of the most powerful countries” and I think people feel proud about that. They say: “Wow… an Argentine guy is talking with the president of USA.”‘He adds: ‘I don’t know what happens if we arrive in the final!’That remains a while off; the United States have not gone beyond the quarterfinals since 1930. But Pochettino’s work is not going unnoticed. ‘People that you don’t hear from for many years appear now!’ he says. ‘That is the power, the magic, the beauty of sport.’After the USA beat Australia, Pochettino received a call from Jorge Valdano, the ex-Argentina forward who won the 1986 World Cup alongside Diego Maradona. The USMNT received a call from President Trump on the eve of their World Cup opener World Cup winner Jorge Valdano told Pochettino: ‘I love everything that the team is doing”He said to me: “I love everything that the team is doing on the field… how you play, how you compete. But also I really love how you celebrate – the staff, the players on the bench”.’Against Australia, America held its breath as VAR studied whether Alex Freeman was offside before heading home. Once the goal was given, the defender was mobbed. Then, at full-time, nearly 70,000 fans serenaded the team with ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.”It’s amazing the energy that we translate,’ Pochettino says. ‘That’s contagious.’ He will only hope this wave doesn’t crash too soon.