The United States men's national team made sure the Mauricio Pochettino era would start off on the right foot with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday in an international friendly. Christian Pulisic found Yunus Musah early in the second half for the game's lone goal,

The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager won his debut as US coach, getting a 49th-minute goal from Yunus Musah and a stoppage-time strike from Ricardo Pepi.

The new coach is still learning his new players, and the difficulty will rise with Tuesday’s match at rival Mexico.

Mauricio Pochettino's first objectives as USMNT coach were to beat Panama and to restore some positive vibes after a poor run. Mission accomplished.

The Mauricio Pochettino era for the U.S. men’s national team is off and running. Playing its first match since the hiring of the big-name coach in August, the USMNT didn’t disappoint with a 2-0 win over Panama in a friendly Saturday at Q2 Stadium.

Little by little building something. The objective is 2026,” Pochettino said, referencing the upcoming World Cup. “It’s only the first step.”