Mauricio Pochettino had a challenge on Friday, or at least a challenge in addition to preparing for Belgium.
The USMNT coach, an Argentinean national, was to throw out the first pitch at the Seattle Mariners‘ game, days before his squad’s Round of 16 game at nearby Lumen Field. The man had zero baseball experience, putting him at risk of joining the 50 Cent Hall of Fame.
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Fortunately, the worries turned out to be for naught. The 54-year-old Pochettino reared back and threw a perfectly acceptable first pitch. It was looping and a bit high to be considered a bona fide strike, but straight enough that at least 90% of first-pitch throwers would probably take that outcome.
Pochettino had his entire team behind him as he threw to Mariners manager Dan Wilson.
Plenty of prep, nerves and discussion went into that pitch. A U.S. Soccer spokesperson told reporters ahead of training on Friday that there had been discussion about whether Pochettino should try to throw it from the mound or from in front of the mound.
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“I don’t want to say too much but I don’t think baseball is a popular sport in Argentina, so we’re going to see,” USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams told Fox Sports in the afternoon.
Pochettino did get some help from his players. Goalkeeper Matt Turner was seen giving him a crash course in the mechanics of throwing a baseball, with the coach going through the process with an endearing level of effort.
The results speak for themselves. USMNT’s coach can indeed throw a baseball.
Of course, the bigger question is if he can produce a team capable of beating Belgium on Monday without striker Folarin Balogun. This World Cup has so far been a roaring success for Pochettino, so much so that he’s reportedly been offered a contract extension through 2030, and he can match the country’s best performance since the inaugural tournament in 1930 with one more win.
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Yahoo Sports’ Kari Anderson contributed to this report.
