Pochettino honest – Mauricio Pochettino admitted he misjudged how quickly excitement around the U.S. men’s national team would return as Team USA begins its World Cup journey against Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood after a 2-1 tune-up loss to Germany.
The U.S. men’s national team left its final tune-up with a 2-1 loss to Germany on the scoreboard and a sharper message in the background: expectations had to be rebuilt.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino. singing the praises of American fans. also delivered a candid admission about how the atmosphere has shifted since the team started its World Cup run a year and a half ago. “Maybe my expectation, or my mistake, was expecting the excitement around the U.S. team a year and a half ago to be what it is today,” he said. “That was probably my mistake. We had to build that excitement again. When we started this journey towards the World Cup a year and a half ago. maybe we expected too much too soon. But now you can really feel it.”.
On the field, the loss came quickly. Germany struck from a set piece in the second minute, with Kai Havertz scoring. The Americans controlled much of the next hour of play, and they found their equalizer before halftime with a volley from Antonee Robinson.
Germany didn’t stay down for long. Leroy Sane scored at 57 minutes to put the Germans ahead again, and Team USA couldn’t force a comeback late.
Pochettino pointed directly to the moment the game turned against them. and how the response mattered just as much as the goal itself. “You concede the goal from the beginning. the first action of the game. and then the reaction was really positive. ” he said after the match. “To see how we react. To see how we show character. show togetherness and play under pressure — in that moment [of Havertz’s goal] I was upset. of course. but it was good for us to see the reaction of the team. The reaction was amazing.”.
That mix of disappointment and resolve will matter immediately, because the World Cup opener is already set. The USMNT’s World Cup journey begins against Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
With kickoff approaching, the coach’s remarks about rebuilding excitement land differently. The fans, Pochettino believes, have found their energy again—and now the team’s job is to meet it.
USMNT Mauricio Pochettino World Cup Paraguay SoFi Stadium Inglewood Germany Kai Havertz Antonee Robinson Leroy Sane American fans
So he “misjudged hype” like that’s supposed to be a coaching strategy? Lol
I don’t even get it… if they lost 2-1 to Germany then why is everyone talking about excitement again like it magically returns? Also Paraguay at SoFi already sounds like a trap.
Wait, didn’t they already beat Germany like… in preseason a long time ago? Maybe I’m mixing years. But anyway, conceding that early goal is wild. If they can’t hang in there vs Paraguay after that, then what are we even doing.
Ngl I read the headline and assumed he was saying American fans are fake or something. Then it’s actually about rebuilding excitement? Idk, the U.S. should be excited every game not “rebuilt” like a house. And SoFi always looks cool on TV, so I feel like they’re gonna waste the vibe if they score first and then sit back.