USMNT
Who is USMNT interim coach Mikey Varas? US Soccer awaits Pochettino announcement
The US will take on Canada and New Zealand in September international friendlies led by the MLS-bound head coach.
After a poor showing at the summer’s Copa América the pressure is on USMNT ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter was dismissed after the Copa América debacle and former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is hotly-tipped to take over. However Pochettino needs more time to straighten out his contractual situation with former team Chelsea, meaning that USMNT will be led by an interim head coach for the upcoming September fixtures.
The little-known Mikey Varas will be in charge for the games against Canada and New Zealand as the US looks to rebuild confidence. Varas is not a name familiar to many soccer fans around the world and he has a limited record of senior coaching in the United States.
Which teams has Mikey Varas coached?
It is unlikely that Varas will lead the team beyond September’s fixtures and US Soccer expects to have Pochettino in place for the next round of games in mid-October. However Varas could well be kept on in his previous role of assistant manager, which he held as Berhalter’s No. 2 for the past year.
Varas began his coaching career in academy soccer, working at Sacramento Republic FC Academy before moving to MLS side FC Dallas to work as academy manager. During his time with Dallas then-head coach Luchi González decided to promote Varas to become his assistant, a role that he filled for two and a half years.
Varas was recognised at Dallas for his success in bringing through academy players for the first team. Among then was striker Ricardo Pepi, who has since made the move to PSV Eindhoven and is a regular in the USMNT squad. Varas went on to become head coach of the United States’ Under-20 side from 2021 to 2023.
Why did US Soccer choose Mikey Varas?
Needing someone who is available on a short-term basis, US Soccer opted for Varas to led the team. He has experience of working with many of the players that will be involved in the latest squad and will help to integrate younger players.
Speaking after being named USMNT interim head coach, Varas explained that he was determined to give young players a chance.
“We always carry a pretty young squad. It’s something that I think is ingrained in the Federation’s DNA,” he explained.
“Age is just a number - it’s about what you do with your club, what you’ve done with the national team in the past, and - most importantly - what you do in this exact moment. If players are young but they show they’re good enough and they perform well for their club and country, they’ll get opportunities.”
With less than two years to go before the eyes of the sporting world are turned on the United States, there is precious little time to refresh a team that has stagnated in recent years. Assuming that Pochettino is the man to lead USMNT forward, he will need to hit the ground running with his new charges. If Varas can help to integrate a smattering of young prospects into the senior team he will have played his part in that process.