Is Pochettino delivering hope - or panic - to US?

Mauricio Pochettino's start to life as head coach of the United States men's national team has not been as convincing as he and the fans would have liked, but a promising run in this summer's Gold Cup might have begun to turn things around.

A win against Mexico in Sunday's final would deliver a trophy and start the process of instilling some much-needed belief.

It's a victory that Pochettino and his players need if they are to demonstrate that things are moving in the right direction before a World Cup on home soil next summer.

By now, the US should have some clarity in their preparations for the 2026 tournament, but there remains an unfinished, rocky feel to the foundations they have been laying since Pochettino took over in September 2024.

Questions were being asked of the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St-Germain boss following consecutive defeats by Panama and Canada in the Nations League finals, and Turkey and Switzerland in Gold Cup warm-up games.

Though they were only friendlies, those last two losses had USMNT (United States Men's National Team) fans worried.

These games, more so than those against regional opponents, are seen as the type of test they will face in the World Cup - and they failed both.

With the big tournament less than a year away and only one more competitive game to play, it can be easy to slip into a last-minute panic.

There has been a lack of consistency in both personnel and results. The squad appears unresolved, with the group of players called up differing for each camp, something that has mostly been beyond Pochettino's control.

Fifty-five players have made appearances for the USA under the Argentine since he was appointed 10 months ago, making it difficult to build momentum and togetherness.

Mixed results across those 15 matches have reflected this inconsistency and during this time, they are yet to claim victory against a team in the top 30 of Fifa's rankings.

The Gold Cup is Concacaf's Euros and Copa America equivalent. Sunday's final against Mexico is the United States' last competitive match before the World Cup, which explains the sense of urgency going into it.

Pochettino's side have experienced a promising campaign despite missing some key players. Their presence in the final reflects that progress.

It has been a bonding experience for the players involved, but it's likely the XI that starts their first World Cup game in Inglewood next June will look significantly different.

Due to a combination of injury, the Club World Cup and fatigue, this current squad is without familiar names such as Fulham's Antonee Robinson, Juventus pair Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah, AC Milan duo Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun.

Star man Pulisic's decision to rest this summer rather than take part in the Gold Cup was particularly controversial given the context of building for next year's home World Cup.

The players Pochettino has been able to call upon have developed into a useful unit as the tournament has progressed and it's the most together and determined a US group has looked since he took over.

He might wish this togetherness could have been created with his first-choice group but, on the other hand, it has given him a good chance to test fringe players in a competitive, high-pressure environment with a trophy on the line.

Some of this contingent have made a good case for inclusion in next summer's 26-man squad.

Diego Luna has long been touted as a player with the potential to offer the United States something they've been missing. The 21-year-old energetic playmaker, who plays his club football for Real Salt Lake in MLS, has come into his own in the Gold Cup as one of this team's star players.

In goal, Matt Freese, of Manchester City's US relative New York City, has been given the nod ahead of Nottingham Forest's Matt Turner all tournament and, bar one mistake against Haiti, has pushed for inclusion at the World Cup.

Freese's penalty shootout heroics in the quarter-final against Costa Rica gave him a tournament highlight, doing his chances of a 2026 call-up no harm at all.

Elsewhere, midfielder Jack McGlynn, who was also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, has showcased his talent on the international stage, Bayer Leverkusen-linked Malik Tillman has impressed in a role just off the striker, and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has strengthened his claim for a starting centre-back role.

Regardless of what happens against Mexico, this Gold Cup has been a useful experience and a productive exercise - but there's an argument it needed to be more.

Sooner rather than later, Pochettino needs to turn this work in progress into a fully prepared first-choice team.

If the Club World Cup is a World Cup warm-up for the US in an organisational sense, the Gold Cup is a warm-up for what they will look like as a host nation in terms of how its team plays and how it is supported.

Research from renowned US outlet Soccer America revealed that group-stage attendances have dropped compared to recent editions but, though disappointing, this isn't necessarily a sign of things to come at the World Cup.

The clash with the Club World Cup, the absence of familiar stars and ticket pricing issues across the game will have affected turnout but the semi-final in St Louis against Guatemala was sold out.

Guatemala had plenty of support too and at times it felt like it was their home game. Pochettino, 53, believes they can serve as an example for US fans.

"[That] connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we'd like to see in the World Cup," he said. "That connection that makes you fly."

The United States doing well and encouraging sports fans to connect with its men's team during 2026 feels more important for US soccer than merely hosting the World Cup.

The Gold Cup has been something of a tonic for Pochettino and the USMNT but the Mexico game is a similar test to those they failed to pass against Turkey and Switzerland.

This moment cares not for the profile of the competition nor the strength of the squad available to Pochettino. It cares about lifting the trophy.

Win, and they'll have met expectations in an impressively resolute fashion while missing some familiar stars. Lose, and the pre-World Cup panic will return.