It was in mid-August, shortly after the U.S. women's national team claimed the Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 win over Brazil, that U.S. Soccer Federation chief executive J.T. Batson found himself with another reason to smile.
He was sitting outside the W Hotel in Barcelona, having dinner with USSF sporting director Matt Crocker. The two had just completed a long session of negotiations with Mauricio Pochettino, Jesus Perez (Pochettino's No. 2) and Pochettino's representatives, when the realization hit him that even though there were some items to hash out, the pathway to bringing the Argentine on as USMNT manager was wide open.