Poch's "Intense" Training 🇺🇸; Tyler Adams' Return Date Revealed 🔙

The first-ever Camp Poch has kicked off in Austin, Texas. And from what the players are saying, life under the esteemed Argentinian is a lot like the eyeroll-inducing punchline to a cringe-worthy dad joke about camping.

It’s in tents. ⛺️⛺️⛺️🙄

“It was definitely intense,” said Antonee Robinson after his first training sessions with the former Spurs, PSG, and Chelsea boss.

“It’s intense,” added veteran, ponytailed center back Tim Ream, shortly after arriving at Pochtin City Limits, where past jam-band headliners such as Dave Matthews Band and My Morning Jacket would likely be replaced by aggro, crusty punks like Helmet, Cro-Mags, and Void. Time to lace up your boots and jump straight into the pit, lads.

Additional details provided by Robinson were arguably the most telling; and perhaps the most encouraging for a group that looked a bit flat in exiting Copa America in the group stage, only to be followed by a loss to Canada and a draw with New Zealand in a pair of September friendlies.

“Usually lads getting in on a Monday or getting in on Sunday and training on the Monday. If you've played on Saturday, it's kind of like you're not doing a lot of your recovery on the bike. Yesterday we were kind of straight into training and it was a tough session. So we were kind of right away we were here to work ... he knows that we've got a short period of time to kind of understand the principles he wants us to play with."

Ream also spoke very favorably about Pochettino’s direct and methodical approach to communicating with the players.

"There were a lot of individual conversations, understanding us as people and they've continued throughout. Obviously, I had my conversation [with the coaches] right when I showed up on Sunday. Then as hours have ticked by, you see certain guys getting pulled to have sit-down chats. I think it's great.”

To Ream — the veteran defender with the gigantic footballing brain who has earned praise from none other than Pep Guardiola for his ability to read the game — it’s all quite simple, actually.

"He wants to win."

Poch Tour 2024, unofficially titled “No Such Thing as a Friendly,” opens on Saturday in Austin against Panama, with the second stop taking place against Mexico on Tuesday, in the hostile home of Chivas Guadalajara.

No Sleep ‘Til 2026. 🤘

Gen Zeagles Can’t Stop Scoring:

A number of Americans Abroad arrived in Texas for Camp Poch in fine scoring form.

Christian Pulisic has now scored in five of his last six club games, with his most recent an exquisite volley at Fiorentina in AC Milan’s 2-1 loss on Sunday. Puli should have had the chance to make it a brace, by virtue of being the club’s designated penalty taker, but was controversially passed over twice, which led to two missed penalties for the visitors. Manager Paulo Fonseca was livid afterwards, though there’s every chance that he was also angered by reports out of Italy that the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are interested in bringing his star winger back to England.

Folarin Balogun is also on some next-level club form, as he scored in his third-straight league match for Monaco on Saturday in their 2-1 win at Rennes. The downside: Balo had to sub off in the 64th minute with a shoulder injury, and will miss the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies with Panama and Mexico.

Josh Sargent is on a decent little scoring run of his own, with goals in back-to-back games for Norwich after scoring in the Canaries’ 4-0 win over Hull City on Saturday. With four goals and three assists in nine league matches, O’Fallon d’Or has helped lift Norwich up to seventh in the Championship after some early-season wobbles.

And not to be outdone, Paxten Aaronson — a.k.a. “Medford Messi II: Electric Boogaloo” — has now scored in consecutive matches for FC Utrecht, his most recent coming with a left-footed windmill (watch here) in his team’s 3-2 win over RKC Waalwijk on Saturday. The Cathedral Citizens have climbed to a remarkable second place in the Dutch top flight, just five points behind still-perfect PSV USA.

🛍️ We’re all fans of Gen Zeagles Football Club

Updates From the Stationary Bike Set:

Amazing news from the South Coast of England, as it appears one of our top midfielders is set to return from injury very soon.

Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola confirmed his hopes that Tyler Adams will play in the Cherries’ next Premier League match against Arsenal on Oct. 19.

"He’s coming from a period of 18-20 months where he has played very little football, so we cannot rush anything,” said Iraola. “He has completed all the checks and is ready to train with the group. I hope he’s going to help us from the Arsenal game."

Adams had back surgery after playing in three games for the USMNT during Copa America 2024.

Unfortunately, the news was not quite as bright for fellow USMNT midfielder Gio Reyna, as Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin announced that the 21-year-old will not be back in action for the German side until after the November international break (Nov. 11-19).

"We expect that [Julien Duranville] and [Karim Adeyemi] will be available again after the international break in November,” Sahin said ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Union Berlin. “Unfortunately, Gio had a setback, and it looks similar for him.”

Reyna injured his left groin while training with the USMNT during the September break.

News and Notes:

• Gregg Berhalter has been named head coach and director of football for MLS’ Chicago Fire 🔥

• Despite being held goalless in Coventry’s 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Haji Wright was named to the EFL Championship Team of the Week for the week prior.

• This Matko Miljevic goal from the Argentian Primera Liga is truly something to behold (watch here). Best left-footed hit by a 5’7” Newell’s Old Boys attacker since … 🤔

• Patrick Hickey scored his fourth goal of the season for Galway United via a towering header in their 1-1 draw with Dundalk. Chicago Peter Crouch has The Tribesmen just four points from the top of the Irish Premier Division table with three matches left to play. 

• Despite playing for opposite sides, Jose Gallegos (Sonderjyske) and Milan Iloski (Nordsjaelland) combined for the rare Ameri-Danish Double in Nordsjaelland’s 4-1 win on Sunday (watch here). 🇺🇸🇩🇰

• Jonathan Gomez started in his debut for PAOK in their 2-0 win at Levadiakos on Sunday. The 23-year-old from North Richland Hills, Texas joined the Greek side from Real Sociedad.

• Congrats are in order for Cole Campbell, as the 18-year-old forward from Houston was named to his first Borussia Dortmund senior squad against Union Berlin on Saturday.

• Thanks to this impressive sliding, right-footed strike in Olympique Lyon Women’s 4-0 win over Montpellier on Saturday, Lindsey Horan now has an amazing five goals in three league matches for the French side.

• Not to be outdone in France, Korbin Albert started in midfield and Eva Gaetino was an 82’ sub in defense in PSG Women’s 3-0 win over Le Havre on Friday.

• Emily Fox made her fifth-straight start for Arsenal Women in their scoreless draw with Everton on Sunday.

Parting Shots:

Thanks to the play of Josh Sargent, Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright, and others, USMNT supporters are quite familiar with our gents finding success in England’s second tier. But Americans are also thriving in another football-mad nation’s lower leagues, as a handful of U.S. players are Fußballing out in the 2. Bundesliga.

Santiago Castaneda, a 19-year-old midfielder from Tampa, Fla., has started all eight of SC Paderborn’s league matches this season, as the ‘07ers are one point off the leaders in the second tier … Johan Gomez, the 23-year-old older brother of PAOK’s Jonathan Gomez, has similarly played in all eight of Eintracht Braunschweig’s games this season … 20-year-old striker Damion Downs has four goals in eight appearances for popular Rhine-Ruhr side FC Köln … Veteran forward Julian Green also has four goals in eight games for Greuther Fürth, where he often lines up alongside 22-year-old U.S. Olympic center back Maximillian Dietz … And though he has yet to make an appearance so far this season, 2014 World Cup hero John Brooks is back with Hertha Berlin after previously playing with the capital side from 2012-17.