The USMNT boss swatted away criticism, says lack of World Cup qualification allows him freedom to build depth in player pool

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time since taking over as U.S. men's national team manager, Mauricio Pochettino lifted the curtain. Faced with waves criticism following the USMNT's recent loss to South Korea, he put it all on the table. 

Pochettino on Monday addressed the team's poor showing in March's CONCACAF Nations League and the repercussions of it. He explained his roster decisions and why, given the current situation, he believes that they are best for the team.

He acknowledged the growing criticism and – while he was careful to admit some of it has been fair – he also swatted much of it away and insisted that he has full faith in path forward. 

"Everyone knows here inside that we have a plan and we stick with the plan," he said on Monday in Columbus, Ohio, where the USMNT will play Japan Tuesday night. "I am the first guy that wants to win because you know very well that we are very competitive. But at the same time also, there is a process and a plan that we have to stick with. The players know very well what we are doing…

"We know what we are doing. We have experience, and I believe the important thing is to provide the possibility for players to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition."

The path has been under debate. Many outside the program are calling for consistent results, and wins, on the way to the summer of 2026. Pochettino, who cited his own playing career and Argentina's 2002 World Cup failure, says running through the upcoming pre-tournament stretch unchallenged isn't the way.

This camp, in particular, is one final chance to learn some lessons, he said, and to sort out which players he can count on where as the World Cup draws closer. And, despite the outside noise, he isn't deviating from his plan. Instead, he seems more eager than ever to bring the doubters on board.

"We are here because something needed to change," Pochettino said. "That is why, less than one year ago, we came in to be in charge of the national team here. We are different and we have different words. But we are here because we want to share with you and we want to learn from you. We don't want to teach anyone. 

"We have our plan and that is a process. Of course, I want to win all of the games. But if we cannot win, we need to be positive in knowing that we are doing things that are very important to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition."

So what's his plan to get there? Pochettino offered details.

AFPThe impact of March

"Do you remember March?" Pochettino asked a room full of reporters. "We all remember March."

He'd hinted about it several times in the months since the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League disaster, with losses to both Panama and Canada. On Monday, he outright said it. Pochettino acknowledged that those defeats urned his head, and that much of what has happened since was in direct response to that.

"It was a wakeup call," Pochettino said. "We needed to start a different process and a different approach with analysis. I think they understand us now, but also we understand the players. I think that happening helped us, a little bit, to understand that the most important thing is the national team. The federation, this is more important than any single name… This is the most important thing. We need to work for this, and I think we are progressing because that is the mentality that they players are showing now…

"The players that are not playing, they need to push to play. The players that we are not calling, they need to keep pushing because they can, for sure, have the possibility to come again. And the competition is going to be very healthy for the organization. That is the plan."

That plan, quite clearly, was impacted by March's defeats. It's also been impacted by the USMNT's lack of World Cup qualifiers, which Pochettino admitted has allowed him to experiment more than he would have otherwise.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'If you want to talk bullsh*t, we can talk bullsh*t'

If these upcoming games were World Cup qualifiers and not friendlies, the roster would be different, Pochettino says. Malik Tillman, for example, would be a player he'd be willing to risk calling in after his recent return from injury. Instead, without that sense of urgency, he opted to leave Tillman with his new club, Bayer Leverkusen, to build.

Are there players he could have, and would have, called in for more meaningful matches? Yes. But, without the need to qualify for the World Cup, he's been given what he sees as a gift to experiment in ways that other teams can't.

"People sometimes create debate and talk with no sense," he said. "You cannot compare because this national team and this country is qualified for the World Cup, so the important thing is to apply common sense. If people want to talk bullsh*t, we can talk bull sh*t. We feel the responsibility to provide for the group of players that we think can be important for the future of this country in a World Cup."

With nothing but friendlies on the schedule until next June, Pochettino said he wanted to assess multiple players.

"This is one of the opportunities that we have because we are already qualified, to do this type of thing, because, if you are playing qualification games, you cannot do some tests or change too much," he added. "Sometimes, though, you need to take some risks with players that maybe are on the limit of being called, or not to be called. That can be a good or bad thing, when you are already qualified for a World Cup."

The planning, he says, doesn't just apply to the top stars. What happens, he said, if Tillman gets hurt? Or if Chris Richards has to miss a game next summer? Pochettino wants a contingency plan – and you can't know until you try.

"If we work with only a few players, if the moment I name the roster a player arrives and is injured and cannot play, the World Cup is not the moment to give tests or give the possibility for experience," Pochettino said. "That is why you cannot be surprised tomorrow if I make some changes and some players play, because we want to give them game time because now is the moment to give them that experience. Maybe it's just in case. Maybe they perform so well they can be on the roster."

Few are disputing the need for depth. Many, though, are also harping on the need for results.

ImagnThe need to win

No coach goes into games intending to lose. There are times, though, when the path to winning is just as important. 

"Some people want to talk about and analyze only the result and want to be negative," he said. "I think that's a bit of a shame. We need to be positive. We need to all be together because this country is all on one side trying to help arrive at the World Cup in the best condition to be competitive and be a team. We want to make our fans proud and that's the most important thing.

"Now is the moment. Of course, I want to win. I wanted to win against South Korea and I want to win tomorrow against Japan. But at the same time, we need to provide the game time to players that maybe have no experience. Maybe we struggle. Maybe we make a mistake. Maybe we compromise the result. Of course I want to win, but we also need to think about the process and give the possibility to players to perform in a very difficult situation."

That said, the criticism won't quiet without tangible signs of progress. Ultimately, this is a results-based business, and the USMNT has gotten to few in recent months. After losing to Mexico last year, the U.S. has now lost to Panama, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea this year – not to mention another loss to El Tri in the Gold Cup final.

"When people talk, you need to think a little bit about if there's another way to assess and analyze things. It's not only about being negative," he said. "There's a World Cup in front of us and, if we are patriotic and we feel a certain way, we can be critical because I like criticism when you say things are not right. But criticism for the sake of criticism? I think that is not damaging me, but damaging your country and the players. We all need to be behind them to provide them the platform to perform."

Getty ImagesTrusting the process

Pochettino prompted some controversy after the South Korea loss when he said that the only results that matter are the World Cup. He's right, in a sense. He wasn't hired to win friendlies, he was hired to go on a run next summer. If he believes that the best way to prepare for that run might include sacrifices in these friendlies, that's his decision.

Ultimately, though, the buck stops with him. Win in the summer and he'll look like a genius, one that made short-term sacrifices to foster long-term growth. Fail? That's also on him. Could these games have been used to build chemistry instead of depth? Did he hold onto March for too long? Was the plan and process the right one this particular team?

No one can know until the World Cup. Pochettino, though, stand by it. All the rest of us can do is wait.

"We have a plan, and we have no worries," he said. "There are no worries about nothing. We stick with the plan. We are with the players. We have a very, very strong group now, from the people working in the federation to everyone."