Pochettino’s Frustration After Loss to Türkiye

Manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed his anger toward the media following the U.S. men’s national team’s 3-2 defeat against Türkiye on Thursday.

He was particularly upset that reporters focused only on the loss, failing to acknowledge that his team topped their group.

“The atmosphere is the same as ours. I’m going home tonight, but staying in Türkiye,” Pochettino remarked. “Just to remind you all, we won the group. Sorry, we won.”

Despite the setback, Pochettino addressed questions regarding the loss of momentum as the team heads toward the World Cup finals, even after successfully progressing through the group stages.

Prior to the match, he emphasized the need for more wins but opted for a lineup that featured mostly substitutes, making nine changes from the team that had defeated Australia.

If the U.S. had clinched victory in all three group matches, it would have marked a historic first for the program.

“Making history means winning the World Cup,” Pochettino noted. “You can’t just win three games in the group stage and consider it historic. If you lose the next match, what does it really mean?”

Pochettino drew attention to Germany, who played earlier and lost to Ecuador, despite fielding many regulars. He contrasted their situation with that of the U.S., asserting that they managed the match well, particularly in the return of star player Christian Pulisic.

Pulisic had missed the game against Australia due to a calf injury but returned as a substitute in the match against Paraguay.

“Yes, I’m happy. He finished well,” Pochettino commented about Pulisic. “When he was on the pitch, it had a positive impact.”

With an eye on the finals scheduled for July 1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the U.S. team is now shifting focus toward that crucial match.