CHICAGO — Mauricio Pochettino is back for another cycle with the U.S. Men’s National Team, penning a new, four-year deal that runs through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. It’s potentially good news for Chicago Fire star goalkeeper Chris Brady, who emerged as a USMNT camp regular in recent months under Pochettino’s watch.
“Since they brought me in for the World Cup, I’ve been more than appreciative of what they’ve done for my development,” Brady told MIR97 Media on Wednesday. “I think it’s a great thing that they’ve been brought back… like I always say, I have to keep working and doing what I can control. Hopefully, the rest takes care of itself.”
Brady, who turned 22 earlier this season, has steadily emerged as one of the most ascendant goalkeepers in American soccer. The Naperville native broke through with the Fire first team following Gaga Slonina’s departure in 2022, and has since demonstrated that he’s one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in world football.
His national team integration has matched his steady rise, culminating with a senior debut against Senegal in May and becoming the youngest U.S. keeper at a World Cup since 1990. With a full four years of runway to the next World Cup, Brady appears to be one of the favorites to take the #1 position this cycle after being the third-string at last year’s Gold Cup and this year’s World Cup.
“The ultimate goal is to play and be a starter,” Brady said after returning from the World Cup. “Working toward that is going to take a lot of application of what I learned over this last World Cup and in the camps before, but also what I do every day — finding a good dynamic and fusion between the two and how I play and my playing style.”
Over the last few years, the goalkeeper position has been one of difficulty for the USMNT. The dominant figures of Tim Howard, Brad Friedel, and Kasey Keller are long gone, and the likes of Matt Freese and Matt Turner over the last five years have left something to be desired. However, the emergence of Brady, as well as other talented young goalkeepers like Diego Kochen and Brian Schwake, will hope to alleviate that stress sooner rather than later.
The man responsible for navigating the pool of young goalkeepers will be U.S. Soccer’s Head of Goalkeeping, Toni Jiménez. Jiménez has been part of Pochettino’s technical staff for 15 years, dating back to his time at Espanyol, and joined him at his other stops, including Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. He has been a big advocate of Brady within the camp and has come to watch him play for Chicago numerous times, including earlier this season against the Philadelphia Union.
“I sent Toni a text congratulating him, and I’m super happy that they’re back,” Brady said. “I’ve really sharpened a whole lot of my skills, and I’m able to bring all of those things together, and that’s what we have been working on the last few weeks. I’m bringing together all of those skills that we have worked on at the beginning of the season and then during the World Cup.”
The first opportunity for Brady to return to camp will be this September when the U.S. face Peru (9/26, Orlando), Chile (9/29, St. Louis), Mexico (10/3, Phoenix), and Canada (10/6, St. Paul). The set of four matches will likely be a great opportunity for Pochettino to test out several new players for his first full cycle, and at goalkeeper, hand first starts to potential solutions at the position. Brady, if he continues his current form with the Fire, will almost certainly be one of them.
“I hope so,” Brady said of future involvement with the national team. “I always say, I've got to keep working, doing what I can control, and hopefully the rest will work itself out.”
