Mauricio Pochettino’s message contrasts with the World Cup vibe he has been creating.

Pochettino’s First Year as U.S. Coach: Ups and Downs

IRVINE, Calif. — Mauricio Pochettino has spent, well, quite some time as the head coach of the U.S. men’s national team, often emphasizing the need for every game to feel as important as a World Cup match. He’s expressed frustration over the perceived lack of interest in the Gold Cup last summer, insisting that in countries like Spain, France, Argentina, and Brazil, players would crawl over broken glass for a national team call-up. He hopes, perhaps, for that same mentality to take hold in the U.S.

This attitude may well be part of why U.S. Soccer is reportedly extending Pochettino’s contract through to the 2030 World Cup, according to a report from The Athletic’s Adam Crafton.

However, it was a bit unexpected to see Pochettino react strongly to a question about the team’s recent loss to Turkey, where they conceded a last-second goal. In some ways, the reporter’s question simply reflected his view. Pochettino responded, “I’m happy. Maybe your question is a little strange, so I’m not here. When you arrive here, you’re confused. Perhaps you feel like you’re heading home and leaving Turkey behind?”

To be fair, the match itself was lackluster. Pochettino’s choice to rotate players made sense and likely was the right decision. He’s navigated the group stage commendably, and no one can really dispute that. Various media outlets praised him and his team extensively last week, and a single loss shouldn’t seriously taint opinions on their upcoming game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But dismissing the match entirely isn’t ideal. The game did highlight some defensive gaps, as Auston Trusty suffered an ankle injury just before the decisive goal. Some players, such as Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, and Ricardo Pepi, didn’t manage to make much of an impact off the bench, which could be a concern going into the next matches.

That said, there were some positives. Christian Pulisic bounced back impressively from injury, finding the net and assisting another goal, while Sebastian Berhalter looked dangerous on set pieces.

Pochettino seems to be in a bit of a bind here. If he wants every game treated like a major event, like a World Cup, then he can’t later downplay a loss. It would be, um, contradictory. After all, teams from France, Brazil, Argentina, or Spain wouldn’t just shrug off a World Cup loss under similar circumstances.

Yet, it’s also reasonable for him to recognize the situation’s gravity, particularly given the risks of injuries or card suspensions. Players seemed predictably optimistic when addressing this issue, showing a unified front.

Chris Richards said, “I wouldn’t say we lost momentum. Everything is a learning opportunity. Win or lose, we go into the game with the same mindset. We’re back to work.”

By contrast, Pochettino appeared unable to shake his disbelief that a loss could carry even the lightest negative implications.

“Sorry everyone, but Turkey got the three points, Australia celebrated qualification, Paraguay celebrated qualification, and I come here for you media,” he commented. “I don’t want to congratulate you on winning the group, but it’s a bit sad,” he added before abruptly leaving the stage. “But I just want everyone to remember that we won as a group. Sorry, we won.”