Pochettino praises U.S. prospects after 6-0 win over Haiti ahead of departure

Mauricio Pochettino expressed confidence in the United States men's national team's future after a 6-0 victory over Haiti in Miami on Saturday, his next-to-last match as coach. The result gave the Americans a commanding advantage before Tuesday's second leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal in Cincinnati.

Pochettino confirmed Friday that he would leave for Manchester United after the series, only three months into a new four-year contract. Saturday's result was the largest victory of his two years in charge. He said the national team had an "amazing future" and that the structure and principles needed to pursue greater success were already in place.

The Argentine praised the players for handling the uncertainty surrounding his departure with maturity, from the emergence of rumors through confirmation of his decision. He also credited experienced members of the squad with creating an environment that allowed younger teammates to play confidently and without tension.

Christian Pulisic marked his first U.S. appearance since the World Cup with two goals in a two-minute spell after halftime. The AC Milan attacker now has 35 goals in 91 international appearances, moving ahead of Eric Wynalda into fourth on the team's career scoring list. Pulisic missed friendly victories against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada while recovering from a microfracture of his right tibia and fibula suffered during the 4-1 World Cup round-of-16 defeat to Belgium.

Pulisic described the Manchester United position as a major opportunity for Pochettino and said the U.S. needed to keep developing together. He said the coach had brought excitement to the team and would leave that influence behind. Substitute Folarin Balogun, who scored the final goal, also expressed disappointment at the departure while urging the players to preserve the intensity and unity established under Pochettino.

Auston Trusty opened the scoring from a corner in the 10th minute, playing for the first time since his father's death last month. Speaking to TNT Sports afterward, the defender dedicated both his goal and his performance to his father, whom he described as his idol and an important source of support throughout his career.

The Americans added five goals after the interval. Teenager Julian Hall scored for the fourth time in five appearances, with his participation also formally tying his international future to the United States after he had been eligible for Poland. Weston McKennie was another scorer.

Much of the crowd supported Haiti, whose team has been unable to stage home matches because of violence in the country. South Florida, home to the largest Haitian diaspora community in the United States, served as the venue for Haiti's home leg. Supporters celebrated loudly when Lenny Joseph finished Josué Casimir's cross in the 70th minute, but an offside decision disallowed the goal.

The Nations League semifinals and final are scheduled for next March, when the Americans will be led by a successor who has yet to be named. Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo will oversee the senior team's December training camp.