Eight things we think we learned from the USMNT’s first road win under Pochettino

Playing on a beat-up field in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday night, the U.S. men’s national team accomplished something they had left undone for the last eight years: they secured a shutout win on the road.

Their 1-0 win over Jamaica in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals was far from perfect. After a picturesque assist from Christian Pulisic found Ricardo Pepi for the go-ahead tally in the fifth minute, there was more than a little breath-holding happening on the visitor’s sideline. There were few quality attacking opportunities for the United States during the remainder of the match and they conceded a penalty (which Matt Turner promptly saved).

Still, Mauricio Pochettino looked on from the sidelines in just his third game in charge of the U.S. as they secured a rare Concacaf road victory. There’s precious little time for the new manager to shape the USMNT in his image, so every game matters. Every bit of film is a help. And every scrap of information is useful.

With a nearly microscopic sample size for Pochettino’s version of the United States, I’m too scared to put together a list of meaningful postgame takeaways. Instead, I’m going to do my best to make some educated guesses about a handful of important on-field areas for the USMNT.

So, then, allow me to present the eight things I think we learned about the U.S. from their latest match under the Argentine.

Matt Turner is Poch's starting goalkeeper 

What’s the old expression? Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern? Yeah, well Turner, despite barely playing any club soccer over the last 18 months, has reached pattern status and seems to have retained his role as the USMNT’s No. 1.

With Turner sitting on the bench for Crystal Palace in the Premier League and a new manager arriving without any obvious ties to the 30-year-old, a shuffle in goal seemed like a real possibility following the Copa America. But after Turner started both of the U.S.’s October matches — their first window with Pochettino at the helm — and found himself staring down Jamaica on Thursday in a competitive game, that possibility seems to have faded.

Sure, he conceded a penalty in the first half with a sloppy challenge inside his own box. But Turner saved that penalty to continue his outrageous spot kick record for the USMNT.

The job looks like his to lose.