As Mauricio Pochettino further endears himself to the American public, many soccer fans in the United States think he looks like a familiar Hollywood superstar.
The USA manager has donned a navy blue overshirt with the USMNT soccer crest emblazoned on the left breast pocket for the team’s first two games against Paraguay and Australia.
That outfit, combined with his dark and wavy hair, has led many World Cup fans to compare the Argentine coach to the iconic actor Russell Crowe – particularly his movie ‘The Nice Guys’.
As the United States team took to the field in Seattle, the millions of fans tuning in across the country rushed to social media to make the comparison.
‘Is Mauricio Pochettino the brother of Russell Crowe?’ asked one fan in the first half of Friday’s game against Australia.
Another fan, sharing a 50-50 image of Pochettino and Crowe in ‘The Nice Guys’, wrote: ‘Mauricio Pochettino is looking more like Russell Crowe than Russell Crowe.’
USA World Cup fans think coach Mauricio Pochettino looks like Russell Crowe
Pochettino has endeared himself to the American public after a strong World Cup start
Fans think that his outfit for World Cup games looks like Russell Crowe in ‘The Nice Guys’
While many drew the comparisons to Crowe from that particular movie, another thought he resembled Crowe from a different film.
‘Pochettino is giving off Russell Crowe in American Gangster vibes today,’ the fan wrote with a picture of Pochettino leaping off the bench in celebration when the United States took the lead over Australia.
And others, of course, made the obvious link in saying that if Hollywood decides to make a movie of the USA team at their home World Cup, there’s only one man who can play Pochettino.
‘Mauricio Pochettino looks like if Russell Crowe were playing the USMNT Coach in a movie,’ a fan said.
Another wrote: ‘Russell Crowe will play Pochettino when they make a movie (which they will) about USA winning a couple of World Cup games.’
After last week’s commanding 4-1 win over Paraguay, Pochettino’s men took an early lead against Australia when defender Cameron Burgess bundled the ball into his own net.
Alex Freeman then doubled the lead just before halftime with a header from close range.
The USA took to the field without star man Christian Pulisic, who was still struggling with a calf injury sustained in the win against Paraguay.
After Friday’s game against Australia, the US team flies from Seattle to Los Angeles and turns attention to the final group game against Turkey.
