Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of the United States men's national team, took issue with the media's line of questioning following his team's 3-2 defeat to Turkey on Thursday. The loss, which came on a goal scored with the last kick of the match, was a dead rubber as the US had already secured top spot in Group D. Pochettino told journalists he expected to be congratulated for leading his team to a first-place finish and found their questions about the loss “weird.”
US Secures Top Spot with Historic Performances
The US had already clinched first place in Group D after two historic performances. A 4-1 opening win against Paraguay saw the team score more goals in a World Cup match than ever before. This was followed by a 2-0 victory over Australia, marking the first time the US opened a World Cup with six points. These results ensured the US would advance to the last 32, where they will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Much of the pre-match discussion centered on whether the US could maintain momentum from those wins. The loss to Turkey raised concerns about whether that momentum could be sustained. Pochettino dismissed the concept of momentum, stating, “It is a topic that I don’t understand. What is momentum? To play with the same team that we played against Australia? And to take the risk to receive a yellow card and not to play the next game? Did Germany lose the momentum too in their 2-1 loss to Ecuador? I don’t know. There are too many topics in soccer that I don’t understand. The objective was to finish first, and we are first, and now is the next stage, and it’s going to be a final, and we are ready.”
Pochettino Emphasizes Positives
Pochettino stressed that the overall mood within the camp was positive. “I think it’s all positive, and I am so positive, and I am happy. Maybe I am not showing because your questions are a little bit weird, but I am so happy, and the players are happy, because I think we perform, we compete, and we are first. Maybe I am confused, but the mood, the vibes is like we go home tonight and Turkey stays.”
When asked by the Guardian about areas for improvement after the loss, Pochettino first noted that no one had congratulated his team for topping the group. “At the moment, no one congratulated us for finishing first in a very difficult group. I congratulate the players, the staff and USA and the fans to finish first in a very difficult group. My answer is, you always learn when you are in a World Cup. There were plenty of positive things today. Plenty of players that made a debut, or made their first start. I think we are much better team now than before. I think it’s not easy to do after winning two games, preparing for the next stage and playing a team that is not playing for nothing. It was difficult for the boys to go there and try to perform and that’s why I’m so happy about the performance.”
Pochettino's Frustration with Media
After further questions about the squad depth shown in a competitive performance, Pochettino returned to his incredulous feeling. “I’m sorry guys, it cannot be possible that Turkey finishes celebrating the three points, Australia is celebrating the qualification, Paraguay celebrating the qualification, and I come here, and for you not to say congratulations, that we won the group. That is a little bit sad. I need to remind you and everyone that we won the group. You guys, we won.”
