What Mauricio Pochettino wants besides 'intensity' from U.S. Men's National Team

He's keeping an eye on character

For Pochettino, competitiveness isn't just about on-field talent. It's also about off-field attitude.

"The mentality of the players is really important," he said. "We need to be intelligent in the way that we are going to select the players and not just choose based on talent alone."

In practice, that means up-and-coming, high-energy players might get Gold Cup minutes over traditional USMNT starters. Keep an eye on big-hearted characters such as Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna, Olympique Lyonnais' Tanner Tessman and the Vancouver Whitecaps' Brian White. They might play a bigger role in the Gold Cup than previously expected.

He has a grip on the global USMNT playing pool, but his takes on it might be controversial

It has taken time, but Pochettino and his team appear to have a good handle on where the best American soccer players are around the globe, from Milan to Monterrey and everywhere in between. 

"For sure we have a better picture," he said of the USMNT landscape. "Since we took over the project we wanted to identify and scout as many players as possible, both in MLS and those playing abroad."

Pochettino's recent lineups have taught us plenty about what that picture looks like. He's more positive about Major League Soccer and its players than many predicted he would be, but he's less high on the English Championship and Liga MX than his predecessors. He has passed over Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris, Coventry City's Haji Wright and Club America's Alex Zendejas in recent windows.

He's still high on 'intensity,' but he's not talking much about what it means

If there's one buzzword for the Pochettino era, it's "intensity"— the Argentine is adamant about cultivating it, protecting it and delivering it since he took over the team last fall. Intensity, unsurprisingly, is back on the menu for the Gold Cup. 

"For sure to start we must compete hard," Pochettino said of the tournament. "We must match the intensity of our opponents, because in these tournaments, they are always motivated to play against the USA."

But what does Pochettino mean when he says "intensity"? Is it energy? Physicality? Dedication? Mental fortitude? We've never really found out. 

Pochettino is tight-lipped about how he defines and measures it for his players. But whatever intensity means to Pochettino, the USMNT hasn't provided it yet.

The USMNT will return to action in early June with friendly matches against Turkey and Switzerland. It will open its Gold Cup campaign on June 15 against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, California.