Mic'd Up: The ex-U.S. international discussed the state of the USMNT, Street FC and the return of Showdown to NYC
Kyle Martino, the former U.S. international turned commentator, knows much about USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, dating back more than a decade back he was Tottenham Hotspur manager and Martino was a host for NBC Sports Soccer. And what he's seen so far from Pochettinto and the USMNT?
"The first impression is that it's not good enough yet," Martino told GOAL.
Martino, however, is backing him to succeed long-term with the program.
"I've gotten to spend a lot of time with him," he said. "I have always been impressed in my time being able to observe him, whether from afar, through my role at NBC, or being at Spurs trainings when he first got there, and now getting a chance to be on the inside."
Currently competing at the 2025 Gold Cup, the USMNT is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. However, Martino – in contrast to some other voices of the game – doesn't believe the current tournament matters much in the grand scheme.
"I hate to take wind out of the talking heads that want to be hyperbolic in this moment, but the Gold Cup has almost never created the majority of a World Cup roster," he said.
The TNT commentator sat down with GOAL ahead of the Steve Nash Foundation's Showdown in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Martino, founder of Street FC – a street soccer community across the country – partnered with Nash to bring some of the top high school players from around the city to play along with legends such as Ali Krieger, Sacha Kljestan, Bradley Wright-Phillips, and Dutch legend Edgar Davids.
"I built Street FC to be a platform to shift the paradigm away from the construct of grass and coaches and expensive play," he said, "and that being the only avenue to get in for the game and move up the pyramid."
Showdown, a staple of NYC footballing culture, is a competition Martino has fond memories of, dating back to 2008, the first edition of the 5v5 tournament.
"I'll never forget," he recalls. "I was walking around in Manhattan, and one of my buddies called me and was like, 'I think that Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna – because he knew I was friends with these guys – are playing like a pickup soccer game in Chinatown with, like, Thierry Henry and Jason Kidd' And I was like, 'Dude, you're f*cking with me!'
"And so when he told me that the game had already kicked off, I jumped in a cab, got there, and I couldn't even see the game through the wall of kids and adults, and everyone that had scaled the fence to get a view of the spectacle."
Martino discussed the return of Showdown, Pochettino's World Cup opportunity, and the state of the USMNT in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
Getty ImagesON POCHETTINO
GOAL: You've been commentating for TNT over the past couple of years, covering the program, and you've gotten a firsthand view of Mauricio Pochettino. What are your initial impressions?
MARTINO: The first impression is that it's not good enough yet. But I've gotten to spend a lot of time with him, where I have always been impressed in my time being able to observe him, whether from afar, through my role at NBC, or being at Spurs trainings when he first got there, and now getting a chance to be on the inside. You know, he is not taking any shortcuts, and he really is spending the time to get to know the players, finding out how their staff can get the best out of them – and create a cultural foundation that is very difficult to do when you get such little time with the players.
So what we've seen on the field, tactically and and consistently competitive, has not been to the standards that I know he has, and the standards that I know the U.S. fans have. But like we're seeing right now in the Gold Cup – as the as this incredible, unsinkable and irresistible summer comes barreling towards us – I've got high confidence in the quality of players that aren't in the camp right now, the quality of the players that are in the camp right now, and ultimately, Mauricio’s ability to mine the competitive spirit necessary to go and compete, make us proud at the World Cup.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALON THE GOLD CUP
GOAL: The Gold Cup roster is a new-look team, with the majority of the senior roster absent from camp. With 15 MLS players present, and a lot of new faces, the question begs: What is the importance of this Gold Cup for the long-term importance of the USMNT?
MARTINO: I hate to take wind out of the talking heads that want to be hyperbolic in this moment, but the Gold Cup has almost never created the majority of a World Cup roster. You know, on average, a Gold Cup is around 20 percent of a World Cup roster. And you know, of that 20 percent, it's maybe two players that are not regulars that surprise last minute. So, you know, MLS is typically where the surprise last-minute player comes from or the players that don't make it to a World Cup that challenge every single day and keep those that make it honest.
So this Gold Cup roster of missing stars is no different than any Gold Cup roster in the past. Sorry to go against the narrative that we should all pull our hair out and yell at people that aren't dedicated, but this is how it's always looked. And a Gold Cup is obviously to show depth and to show our ability to continue to have our domestic lead create competitive players that can play at the international level. But a Gold Cup is about winning a trophy against local rivals and identifying two to three players that are ready to join the World Cup roster.
GOAL: Does this roster have what it takes to win the 2025 Gold Cup? If you look back to the 2021 edition, the last time the U.S. won, that roster was a majority of it was MLS players, too.
MARTINO: The beauty is Jesse Marsch is doing a great job with Canada. Canada is a more difficult opposition than it was in the past. Mexico might not be as strong as they were in the past. And with all of these teams hosting this World Cup, that's coming this direction, all of these nations need to set the right standards. We forget that we're not in some echo chamber. We're not the only nation hosting this World Cup. Even though they don't have as many games, they have the pressure, they have the desire, they have the expectation. So, I mean, we have as good a chance as any of those guys to go and win it. So I mean, I will be disappointed and surprised if our team doesn't power forward and win the Gold Cup.
Getty ImagesON THE 2026 WORLD CUP
GOAL: The Club World Cup and the Gold Cup are both underway, but looking ahead to next summer, do you believe the U.S. is in a position where they're ready to compete at the World Cup? Why or why not?
MARTINO: We are absolutely ready to compete. The foundation of this squad. I think of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and then guys like Chris Richards, who has gotten into his club team and is playing incredible… obviously, with Christian Pulisic getting a well-deserved and well-needed break to come back fresh and ready to hit his season in stride. We need a goalscorer to start to become dominant. We need a hot foot going into a tournament. We've always had that, whether it's a [Brian] McBride or a [Clint] Mathis or even a [Josh] Wolff that got in last minute to a World Cup team. So, yeah, we need a goalscorer to arise. Patrick Agyemang has been doing a great job of stepping into that role lately.
But listen, we saw what happened in South Korea. Being the host has an incredible impact on raising the quality and caliber of your performances. So, I mean, anything is possible. But you know that first game is everything. Can't afford to show up and wait to compete. We got to earn that right first game, and we are good enough to make it into the later stages of this tournament.
Steve Nash Foundation ShowdownON SHOWDOWN RETURNING
GOAL: It's been six years since the last edition Showdown. Did you ever watch it before? Did you ever participate? Were you ever a part of it, or is this a first for you?
MARTINO: Yeah, what's wild is the first year. I'll never forget, I was walking around in Manhattan, and one of my buddies called me and was like, I think that Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna – because he knew I was friends with these guys – are playing like a pickup soccer game in Chinatown with, like, Thierry Henry and Jason Kidd. And I was like, 'Dude, you're f*cking with me!' And so when he told me that the game had already kicked off, I jumped in a cab, got there, and I couldn't even see the game through the wall of kids and adults, and everyone that had scaled the fence to get a view of the spectacle.
So year one, you know, I found out, like everyone else – old school, word of mouth. I weaseled my way into the game, sat down on the end line with some of the kids, and just smiled until it hurt. And so to be a part of bringing it back after witnessing it in real time, like I did the first year, is just special. I feel honored to do it, and I played a couple times. But I am really excited about my vantage point this time.
You know, I started Street FC as the game captain, meaning the person who runs the game, rolls the balls out, keeps the score, divides the teams, and just makes sure everyone has a blast. And so my role is not as a player, it's as a facilitator to bring the ancient style of pickup, the most magical and beautiful format I've ever seen in sport, to bring it to the Showdown and watch all these guys and young ballers have a blast.
GOAL: If you could pick one person, a former pro athlete, celebrity, former teammate – whoever – to join Showdown, who would it be and why?
MARTINO: That's a really good question. I would go ahead and say Kevin Hart. I mean, I'd imagine Kevin Hart has his little game, and no pun intended… I'm thinking that that guy's got a sneaky fake chop shot.