With Mauricio Pochettino's reported hire still not official, Varas will lead U.S. squad during upcoming friendlies
U.S. men's national team interim head coach Mikey Varas may not be a household name for the average American soccer fan, but he's highly regarded within the inner circles of U.S. soccer.
Varas, 41, remains an enigma to many, but within the coaching game, he's known as a highly-regarded tactical mind who excels with young players.
While Varas isn’t expected to be the U.S. men's national team's coach for long – he's been installed on an interim basis, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly set to take over the full-time role – he’ll relish the chance to showcase his tactical abilities when the USMNT play friendlies against Canada on Saturday and New Zealand on Sept. 10.
With speculation linking Varas to the inaugural head coach role for MLS expansion side San Diego FC in 2025, this opportunity could further elevate his profile. Varas faces his first test as a senior manager against Jesse Marsch and Canada. What do you need to know about Varas? GOAL explores.
USA TodayEarly beginnings
At the collegiate level, Varas played at the University of San Francisco, and followed it up with one season of professional soccer in Chile. He played at CD Santiago Wanderers, before shifting focus to his time on the touchline as a manager.
In 2013, he pursued is UEFA "A" license, where he took classes and worked with a future employer in Luchi Gonzalez. The two became close during the coaching badge process, and they reconnected at FC Dallas four years later, where Gonzalez was the head coach. During that four-year spell, Varas worked in the Bay Area with local soccer programs.
Working as the director of coaching for Burlingame’s Gamer Futsal School and as the regional coordinator for the NorCal Premier Soccer Player Development Program, Varas served as head coach of U12, U17 and U19 teams at De Anza Force in the ECNL before joining the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with Sacramento Republic FC.
AdvertisementFirst steps on the touchline
The California native joined Sacramento Republic FC's academy in 2016-17 and was named the U.S. Soccer Development West Conference U14 Coach of the Year in his debut season. Two of the players Varas coached on that team, Hayden Sargis and Mario Penagos, went on to sign professional contracts with the senior team.
After the stint with SRFC, Varas was hired by MLS side FC Dallas, where he worked with the club's academy and primarily, their U16 side. He spent two years working with the talented youngsters in the club before being promoted to assistant coach to work alongside Gonzalez, again, in 2019. The duo led to two-consecutive MLS playoff appearances during his time with the senior team.
“The game is his life and I had the pleasure of living it with him,” Gonzalez said of Varas, speaking to The Athletic in September. “Mikey is one of the most talented soccer minds in the country. At Dallas, the academy teams were flying under him, the national youth teams flew under him and I have no doubt he’ll make an impact with the senior team in these games.”
Current FC Dallas interim manager, Peter Luccin, had high praise for Varas too, saying he believes the 41-year-old is the ideal manager to lead a young core on the pitch this September – as indicated by the squad he chose for the U.S. for these friendlies.
“As you can see from his roster, he is prepared to give young players a chance. I’m sure they asked him to do that and he is the right guy for this moment.' Luccin told the Athletic. “It’s huge for Mikey and he deserves it. He will get to work with these unbelievable players at the top level and the exposure will be great.”
At FC Dallas, Varas worked with the likes of defenders Reggie Cannon, Justin Che, and Bryan Reynolds, midfielders Paxton Pomykal, Brandon Servania, and Tanner Tessmann as well as forwards Jesus Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi – all of whom have gone on to represent U.S. Soccer at the youth or senior levels.
Getty ImagesInfluence on U.S. Soccer
Following his time with FC Dallas, Varas took his next steps with U.S. Soccer, appointed as head coach of the U20 national team in 2021.
One year after his hiring, Varas' led the U.S. to a U20 CONCACAF Championship, where budding senior prospect Paxten Aaronson scored seven goals en route to winning the Golden Boot of the tournament. The U.S. defeated the Dominican Republic 6-0 in the final, capping off a dominant performance.
In 2023, Varas led the USYNT to the quarterfinals of the U20 FIFA World Cup, further showcasing his talent on the touchline. The U.S. finished atop their group on nine points, beating all three of Ecuador, Slovakia, and Fiji in the Group Stage. In the Round of 16, the U.S. defeated New Zealand 4-0, but fell to eventual champions Uruguay 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
Among the top performers for Varas in the tournament was winger Cade Cowell, who replaced an injured Gio Reyna on the U.S. roster for the September camp Thursday.
Varas also worked as an assistant alongside then-coach Gregg Berhalter with the U.S. men's senior team in 2023.
September camp expectations
Ahead of matches with Canada and New Zealand, Varas has one thing on his mind: get the U.S. back to winning ways.
“The objective for the two matches is to win two games. Win them together, win them playing our football. Ideally, we're going out there and showing a relentless press, being brave with the ball, and a fighting spirit that makes everybody proud," he said via U.S. Soccer.
Varas is eager to make the most of this opportunity as he steps on the touchline with the senior team for the first time this weekend. He's focused not just on showcasing his own tactical abilities, but on highlighting the strengths of the roster he’s selected.
“The opportunity is once in a lifetime. Anytime you get to represent your country, you have to cherish that moment," he said. "At the end of the day though, it’s more than an opportunity. It's also a massive responsibility, and we are committed to making sure we have this group to show everyone who we are as a team.”
His selected roster consists of a handful of regulars, but also newcomers such as goalkeeping prospect Diego Kochen and fullback Marlon Fossey, while players such as Auston Trusty, Caleb Wiley and Aidan Morris are getting opportunities after not featuring for the senior team over the summer.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm to come into the September camp. Basically, what we talked about were three different visions for this upcoming opportunity. The long-term vision is we’ve got to move the program forward, and we’re approaching that in two ways," Varas said.
Varas emphasized the need for increased focus in training and for the U.S. to get back to being proactive against their opponents as opposed to reacting to them.
"Ultimately, what we want to do is set up these players for success to make sure that they have an easy transition with a new coach coming in," Varas said. "Last, but not least, is we have to get back on the field and show who we are. It's on us to get the fan base re-energized and the program re-energized by putting together two winning performances.”