Pochettino swaps – Mauricio Pochettino received a cross-sport jersey swap from Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s Group D finale against Türkiye at Los Angeles Stadium. The night before, the Americans secured their Round of 32 spot wi
Mauricio Pochettino arrived at Los Angeles Stadium for the U.S. men’s national team’s Group D finale against Türkiye with a moment that felt like pure Hollywood gloss—then he had to get right back to the job.
JJ Redick pulled up for a cross-sport jersey swap. linking up with the USMNT manager in Tinseltown while the NBA Draft week chaos surrounded the Lakers head coach. Redick carved out the time during a stretch packed with noise. and made sure the soccer tactician knew he had made it to LA for the showdown.
“The star-studded meet-up adds context to a momentous week for the USMNT,” the day’s script already suggested—and Pochettino didn’t hide how it landed. “It was very nice to meet him,” Pochettino said of Redick. “We had a very friendly moment and a nice conversation.”
Pochettino’s visit comes on the back of a weekend that has already delivered the U.S. a major milestone at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Americans punched their ticket to the knockout Round of 32 after a gritty 2-0 victory against the Australian national football team. In a defensive display. the match swung early when an own goal by Australia’s Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute opened the floodgates. Defender Alex Freeman then sealed it with a brilliant header in the 43rd minute.
Now comes the balancing act: celebration has to make room for planning. Ahead of the Türkiye match. Pochettino is set to shuffle his deck to protect his squad because key starters are carrying yellow cards. Tyler Adams. Folarin Balogun. Chris Richards. and Antonee Robinson all have yellow bookings. and the plan is to rest them to avoid suspension risk in the next round.
Even with that rotation in mind, the expectation inside the group is to keep the momentum. The U.S. aims to stay perfect, with Pochettino expecting a high-adrenaline atmosphere as the Americans hunt for a historic third consecutive group-stage victory.
The week hasn’t been only about tonight’s jersey exchange. Pochettino previously met with Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh before the U.S. delivered its dominant 4-1 tournament-opening victory over the Paraguay national football team.
One thing has stayed consistent across all the LA fanfare and all the football planning: the results came first, and now every decision is about what comes next—especially when yellow cards start shaping who can afford to play.
USMNT Mauricio Pochettino JJ Redick Los Angeles Lakers Türkiye 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D Cameron Burgess Alex Freeman Tyler Adams Folarin Balogun Chris Richards Antonee Robinson Round of 32