While the results weren’t overly exciting – outside of an impressive 1-1 road draw against eventual 2018 World Cup champion France in June and a 1-0 victory against Mexico in September – Sarachan’s main goal at this point of the World Cup cycle was to build for the future by discovering promising U.S. youngsters and giving them valuable experience playing on the international stage. In his 12 matches in charge, Sarachan did just that by handing out international debuts to 23 different players, 13 of which were under the age of 22 years old. That group, which includes 2016 USL Cup-winner Tyler Adams, will likely make up the core of the USMNT squad for the next cycle of Olympic qualifying and then the upcoming World Cups in 2022 and 2026, the latter of which the U.S. will host alongside Concacaf partners Canada and Mexico. If those tournaments go well, fans and critics alike will likely look back at Sarachan’s tenure as an important turning point in revitalizing the national team after one of the darkest moments in its history – the fateful 2-1 setback against Trinidad and Tobago in October 2017.

On top of helping lay the foundation for the future of U.S. Soccer, Sarachan also brings with him extensive experience and success from his time coaching in Major League Soccer, having won the MLS Supporters’ Shield and two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups as the Head Coach of the Chicago Fire. The 64-year-old posted a 75-57-33 record across all competitions during his four-and-a-half-year tenure with the club and earned the 2003 MLS Coach of the Year award in his first season in Chicago.

Sarachan also previously served as the Associate Head Coach with the LA Galaxy from 2008-2016, helping the team win three MLS Cups (2011, 2012, 2014) and two MLS Supporters’ Shields (2010, 2011).

During his tenure with the Fire, Sarachan successfully integrated several of the club’s MLS SuperDraft selections into the first team, getting production out of forwards Nate Jaqua, Chris Rolfe and Damani Ralph, defender Gonzalo Segares and goalkeeper Matt Pickens at an early stage of their respective careers.

Sarachan will have plenty of young players with potential to work with at NCFC, both in the club’s first-team squad and its youth-to-professional pipeline. 22-year-old forward Donovan Ewolo returns to lead the line after impressing with seven goals last year, while 21-year-old defender DJ Taylor – a product of NCFC’s Academy – looks to have another strong season after making 32 appearances last campaign.

With the 2019 USL Championship season set to kick off in less than three months’ time, however, Sarachan and Johnson still have plenty of work to do to fill out their squad and begin preparation for a campaign that they hope will culminate in a return to the USL Cup Playoffs this coming October.

While accomplishing that feat would be a start, the ultimate goal for Sarachan at NCFC will be striking the right balance between moving players through the youth-to-professional pipeline and getting results with the first team.

It won’t be an easy task given the unique nature and size of the club but given Sarachan’s coaching pedigree and recent experience working with larger projects, there’s no doubt that North Carolina FC picked the right man to lead the club into the future.