Center stage: Mauricio Pochettino new main character of American soccer, and debut win over Panama gives USMNT reason to believe

As fans entered Austin's Q2 Stadium on Saturday night ahead of the U.S. men's national team's match with Panama, they were handed posters clearly inspired by Ted Lasso.

"Believe" was featured at the top, with the Spanish translation "Creer" on the bottom. The face on those posters, though, wasn't Lasso (portrayed in the streaming show by Jason Sudeikis), but rather the new main character of American soccer.

Before, during and after kickoff, this tone was set: more than the players on the field, Saturday's match was about the man on the sidelines: Mauricio Pochettino.

The new USMNT coach took center stage, and it was Pochettino's face that adorned those posters - as well as the banner behind one goal throughout the match. That banner had the same message: "Believe."

Right now, that seems to be what it's all about.

After a difficult summer, some of the belief was drained from the USMNT. Exiting a Copa America in a embarrassing fashion on home soil will do that to you. Restoring that belief isn't a simple flip of the switch, of course, but rather a process - one that began on this October night in Austin.

Pochettino's primary task is making people believe. Players, fans, media, everyone - his job is now to convince the world that this USMNT can do something special in 2026. When the World Cup kicks off in June of that year, will the USMNT be ready? That's the question Pochettino was hired to answer, and why all eyes were on him on Saturday night.

That's why it was his face on those posters.

The 2-0 win over Panama was simply a first step toward making people believe. It wasn't a massive leap, but they won't all be. Small steps are good, as long keep adding up, and are all moving in the right direction. We'll see where those steps take this USMNT but, at least on an important opening night, it was easy to see the new life injected into the USMNT just from Pochettino's arrival.