‘Going to be generous, probably a C-minus’ – Apple TV’s Maurice Edu grades Mauricio Pochettino’s first year as USMNT boss, wonders where Weston McKennie has been?

As a former U.S. men’s national team player, Maurice Edu dislikes talking about the Americans when they fall short of expectations. He’d much rather hype them up and trash-talk to international friends as the world counts down to next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Still, like many former players, pundits and fans, he understands recent frustrations, saying this team and its manager, Mauricio Pochettino, should be further along by now.

“If we didn’t think anything of these players or this manager, then it would be quiet,” Edu told GOAL. “You could have a poor performance and no one would notice or care… We expect more because we feel like we have a group of players and, hopefully, a manager who we feel can really help us to be where we all dream of being.

“This is a home World Cup. That’s the extra 10 percent. If you control everything you can control and you work your a** off… that’s the extra five to 10 percent that can take you a step further than you believe you can.”

Edu, who made 46 caps for the USMNT and was part of the 2010 World Cup squad, has seen it all in a career that spanned playing for Scottish powerhouse Rangers to starring in MLS with Toronto and Philadelphia. Now an analyst for Apple TV’s MLS coverage, Edu says Pochettino should prioritize building momentum with the World Cup coming.

“When the 2026 World Cup is over, we’re judging this U.S. team based on how they did in the competition, right?” he said. “But to get there, you need momentum. You need to build confidence.” 

Edu discusses the USMNT following their September friendlies, grades Pochettino a year into the job and asks why Weston McKennie hasn’t been more involved with the national team in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, 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.