USMNT vs. Haiti: Takeaways from the first leg of Mauricio Pochettino's farewell fixture

The USMNT's big names delivered in their post-World Cup return

AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, Juventus's Weston McKennie and Monaco's Folarin Balogun missed the USMNT's four-game autumn camp to make way for some young talent, but they returned to this competitive lineup to give Pochettino's final USMNT squad some edge. With their young stand-ins delivering four wins in four matches, there were questions about how—and if—the trio might reintegrate.

Quite well, as it turned out. Pulisic scored a brace, and McKennie and Balogun found the back of the net once each to hammer home their importance to the USMNT's future. We still don't know who will succeed Pochettino—Steve Cherundolo, BJ Callaghan, Roberto Martinez and Pep Guardiola are all allegedly in contention—but whoever does will inherit a fabulous mixed vintage of established World Cup heroes and high-potential teenagers.

Diego Kochen made his case for a starting position in the team

Pochettino used the USMNT's four friendlies (against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada) to test out his suite of goalkeepers. He gave NYCFC's Matt Freese, Lyngby's Diego Kochen, Chicago's Chris Brady and Nashville's Brian Schwake one half apiece in the first two matches before handing Kochen the Mexico start and Schwake the Canada start based on their winning performances.

Pochettino chose Kochen over Schwake for this competitive fixture against Haiti, and Kochen paid him back by keeping a clean sheet for the USMNT. He had one rough moment in the second half (Haiti caught him out of position and scored, but he was later judged to be in an offside position) but was otherwise faultless between the USMNT's sticks. The team looked more comfortable playing out from the back than it has in years and Kochen's skill with the ball at his feet was the major reason why.

The USMNT fought hard but kept its cool

Is there anything that sums up Pochettino's USMNT better than Sebastian Berhalter—a player Pochettino debuted and platformed—throwing his body into a Haitian player to keep him from messing with captain Tyler Adams, then escaping the ensuing fracas without getting sent off? It shows off everything the USMNT lacked before Pochettino's arrival and everything it hopes to hang onto after his departure: grit, intensity, aggression, team spirit and, perhaps most importantly, a cool enough head to show it all off without getting into trouble with the referee. Berhalter has been one of the greatest 'discoveries' of the Pochettino era, and this kind of spirit is why.

The USMNT will play its second leg against Haiti on Tuesday in Cincinnati, Ohio. That game will be Pochettino's last with the USMNT.