As the 2026 FIFA World Cup nears and the USMNT continues to stumble with preparation time running out fast, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has remained calm and confident.
That does not, however, mean Pochettino's approach lacks fight.
Ahead of the team's second September friendly against Japan on Tuesday, the 53-year-old went to war with critics who have increased in size and volume as the adverse results stack up.
Fans and media have expressed frustration with the recent run of poor results, the latest a 2-0 friendly defeat to South Korea. Despite the limited preparation time ahead of next summer's massive tournament on home soil, the head man has left many of the national team's most prominent players off the roster in consecutive international windows, preferring to call up fringe players with little chance of making the World Cup squad.
Buried within praise of the upcoming game's setting in Columbus, Pochettino hinted early in his press conference that he was aware of the recent noise about his approach. "We know how the fans are here [in Columbus], and because I listen and I hear a lot of things."
That was a foreshadow of what would come over the next 20 minutes, as Pochettino would repeatedly field unrelated questions and spin his answer into repeated offensives on his warpath against the recent criticism.
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When asked for an update on the fitness of defender Chris Richards, who came off the bench against South Korea on the weekend, Pochettino began his assault. "People sometimes create debate and talk with no sense," Pochettino said. "This national team and this country has qualified already for the World Cup, so the important thing is to apply common sense. If people want to talk about bullsh*t, they can talk about bullsh*t, but we feel the responsibility to provide the whole group of players ... we need to give the priority for how he feels. Because if not, if we take a risk in a friendly game, we maybe create a big problem.
"I think the same people that debate about why he's not playing [also debate] why he's playing. The important thing is that we have a plan, we know what we are doing, we have experience. The important thing is to provide the players the possibility to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition.
"If we only work with a few players, but the moment after they arrive some guy arrives with an injury and cannot play at the World Cup, it's not the moment to make tests or give the opportunity to get experience. That is why you cannot be surprised if tomorrow I do some changes.
"Sometimes people want to talk only to analyze the result and want to be negative, and I think it's a little bit shameful. We need to be positive, because we need to be all together, because the country deserves to be on one side to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition to be a team competitive to make proud our fans. That is the most important thing."
At this point, Pochettino had the attention of the room, but he was far from done making his point. After fielding a question about when decisions will be made regarding trimming the roster, he continued.
"We are not amateurs, we are professional people who are looking at all types of situations," Pochettino insisted. "You need to bring some players with the possibility to give game time. You ask me 'why?' Because if [Malik] Tillman is injured...who is going to replace him? That is why now is the moment.
"Of course I want to win, I want to win against South Korea, and I want to win tomorrow against Japan. But at the same time, we need to provide time to players who maybe have no experience. And maybe we can struggle and make mistakes and compromise the result. Of course I want to win, but also we need to think in the process and give the possibility to players to perform in a difficult situation, because Tillman needs to know there's another guy behind him pushing.
"We are in a place now in USA that I think we need help. We need help because we don't have official games. You saw in the Gold Cup how competitive the team is when we are together 40 days working together. That is why we were happy, that was the plan, that is the plan, and we delivered the plan. We played with players maybe you didn't think one day could perform in the national team, but we are here because something needs to change. That is why less than one year ago they come and offered me in charge of the national team, because we are different."
"We are here because we want to share with you, we want to learn from you, we don't want to teach anyone, only that we have our plan, and that is the process. Of course I want to win all the games, but if we cannot win, we need to be positive in knowing that we are doing things very important for arriving to the World Cup in the best condition."
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Phew. Take a breath, because there's a whole lot more. Pochettino, nearly always a calm and collected figure, was clearly agitated by the recent criticism. While maintaining a calm overall demeanor at the stand, the USMNT boss had palpable frustration in his words.
When asked about what progress he's seen from the team, he took it as a springboard to continue his rant. To illustrate his next point, he recalled the woeful disappointment in the CONCACAF Nations League finals earlier this year. "You remember March, no? I think we all remember March. And I think you were all in agreement with me with the roster, with everything. But I think that was a wakeup call because we needed to start a different process and different approach.
"That is why all that happened helped to realize that the most important thing is the national team, the federation, and this one —" Pochettino said as he pointed to the USA crest on his shirt, "is more important than any single name. We are all important, but that is the most important thing, and we need to work all for this. And I think why we are progressing, is because that is the mentality shown in the players.
"The players that we call all want to come and make the effort. We are intentional enough to call the players not to take the risks — like we were talking about, Malik Tillman — we talked to him and said 'you need to understand.' Malik is disappointed that he is not coming, and that is a signal that we are doing something good. That is, for me, the most important thing. The players that are not playing need to push to play, they need to keep pushing so they can have the possibility to come again. That competition will be very healthy for the organization. That is the plan."
Inside training with Mauricio: Preparing for Japan, building chemistry, and staying locked in on the bigger picture. pic.twitter.com/tHRrYPjEE7
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 8, 2025
Pochettino then said something interesting. Something very different from how he portrayed the plan in the past.
When asked about their preparation for the Japan match, Pochettino said they are trialing a number of different tactical approaches to see which works the best.
"We have not too much time to work, and I think it's important to use these games like a training session. That is important for you to know, it's like a training session. We need to put into practice things that will be important for the future of the team."
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That is a very different tune from the narrative Pochettino had pushed in the recent past. In his introductory press conference, for example, the U.S. coach said that it was instilled in him during his playing days that there was no such thing as a friendly. "For me, it's not a friendly game. For me, it's official. When I was a player with Argentina, Copa America, the World Cup, or a friendly it was the same, to show that you are the best and win the game for your country."
Veteran players have since repeated that mantra on multiple occasions, as Tim Ream did during January camp earlier this year ahead of a friendly against Costa Rica. "Listen, these games against CONCACAF opponents are always tough, they're always physical and are never straightforward and easy games," Ream said. "So we're expecting a...there's friendlies but there's no such thing as friendlies."
Yet only months later, Pochettino had reversed course, talking about upcoming friendlies like they are little more than practice for the real thing on the horizon. The idea that it was acceptable to "compromise the result" to achieve a greater good was a complete 180 from his previous narrative, presenting a highly confusing and contradictory message.
It sounds like, as he referenced, the disappointing March has spooked the former Tottenham and PSG manager, causing him to experience a seismic shift in approach.
And he was not having the pushback against this new process.
"We are a very strong group now," Pochettino said. "People who talk need to think a little bit, there always can be another way to assess and analyze things, not only being negative.
"Being critical is one thing, because I like the critiques when you say things that are right, you know? But when it's critiques for critiques, it's not damaging me, you are damaging your country. We need to be all in behind them to provide the best platform for them to perform."
Pochettino would ultimately wrap up his point when asked about his experience in the 2002 World Cup as a player for Argentina.
"I want to win because I am competitive. I know how we are moving in this work, if you win it's easy to say 'oh very good, very nice, good decision' how good we are. But if you lose but you play well, yes, no, this, criticize everything. If you come from a long time and say ok, that process, enough that you are not getting results, ok maybe you can say it's wrong the plan or the process is not doing well. But when it's a very short space of time, with all the circumstances that happen, it's important to translate the idea that of course we want to win, it is the process that will sustain in 10 months to arrive with the possibility to win at the World Cup."
That's all fine and dandy for now, but choices are being made. Pochettino has prioritized building a perfect 35-man depth chart over other important features of a successful World Cup squad, such as developing chemistry for the top 18 starters, or the ability to grind out victories at all cost.
Whether Pochettino likes it or not, the results at the World Cup will be judged not on the process but the result, and only the result. Results which will take place in a very short space of time — not the long-term, process-oriented term that Pochettino will be used to from his club football days.
The process will be judged on the results, not the other way around — will they have sufficient time to shift their mindset from process-oriented to results-oriented? Or will they arrive at the World Cup lacking the necessary knowledge of how to dig deep and just get a result?
Until then, fans are resigned to accept his process as the way forward. Next summer's achievements will anoint or condemn that process, and Pochettino has put himself squarely behind that judgement.
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