The USMNT that took the field at the 1994 World Cup has an immaculate pedigree. They were the originals of U.S. soccer, the first group of guys that truly captured the nation’s eye – no doubt helped by the fact that they represented their country well on home soil.

It’s been 31 years since that tournament, and the group has dispersed a little. Some are in coaching. Some are in the media. And then there’s Alexi Lalas, still at the center of the American soccer discussion.

And as the USMNT approach another home World Cup, he wonders if they can capture the similar “magic” that his team found. 

“Going to a men’s World Cup is nothing new for us,” Lalas told GOAL. “We’ve gone to tons of them, doing well in the group, winning the group. So what we’re looking for is things that we haven’t seen before, and magic moments.”

And that’s possible, he says. Lalas is an outspoken figure on his State of the Union podcast and FOX Sports coverage. His takes on the USMNT routinely go viral – and often add fuel to the fire. And when it comes to Mauricio Pochettino, the no-longer-new manager tasked with taking the U.S. to World Cup glory, Lalas isn’t yet sold.

“I think he’s gotten a rude awakening, but a necessary one,” he says. “And he’s had to kind of play catch up as to both how it functions, just in general the international game as a manager, but also in particular this group.”

And the USMNT players? They absolutely needed a wake up call, Lalas argues. And Pochettino has delivered.

“He is not your friend. He is your coach and or manager, whatever you want to call it,” Lalas says. “And his job, and why he’s being paid $6 million, is to have you be in the best possible place to give this team the most chance of success. And sometimes that means a kick in the a*s, and not always followed up with a pat on the back.”

Lalas discussed Pochettino, Chris Richards and the USMNT’s prospects for the 2026 World Cup in Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad. 

NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.