Uncertainty looms over US national team as Pochettino's arrival pending

Mauricio Pochettino's pending arrival looms over interim coach Mikey Varas and his players.

Coming off a dismal performance in Canada's first win over the U.S. on American soil in soccer since 1957, players say they realize more intensity is needed when the team faces New Zealand on Tuesday night.

"All we can do is put ourselves in the best position so that if an announcement is made in the near future that we're ready, that we're confident going into to the next step for this federation," US midfielder Christian Pulisic said on Monday.

"We need to show that no matter who is the coach is that we're wiling to fight and willing to give the best for this country and that we want to win games."

Varas and players criticised the team's effort in Saturday's 2-1 defeat, the first US match since first-round elimination at the Copa America led the US Soccer Federation to fire coach Gregg Berhalter.

"Anybody who plays, they will have earned it," Varas said, "and at the same time this is a ..