Poch Confused by Strange…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Following the United States’ 3-2 defeat to Türkiye at SoFi Stadium, Mauricio Pochettino expressed frustration during his post-match press conference. He criticized reporters for asking unusual questions and emphasized that the main focus should be on the fact that the U.S. topped their World Cup group.

Speaking in both Spanish and English, Pochettino noted it was “a little bit sad” that no one congratulated him or the U.S. players for winning the group, particularly after their solid performance in the first two games. He found the inquiries about potential loss of momentum after the last-minute loss surprising, especially against a team that had already been eliminated.

“The mood feels like we’re going home tonight while Türkiye is staying,” he stated. “I must remind you all that we won the group. Sorry, but we did win.”

Pochettino had previously stated his aim for the match was to secure a victory, even though he fielded a largely reserve lineup with nine changes from the team that beat Australia on June 19. When asked if he thought it was a missed chance to become the first team in U.S. history to win all three group matches in a World Cup, he dismissed the idea as trivial.

“Making history means winning the World Cup,” Pochettino asserted. “It’s not merely about winning three matches in the group stage. I struggle to understand the significance of that. It’s quite small-minded to think that way. What does it matter if you win three matches but then lose the next one?”

Responding to a question about the impact of the defeat, he said: “What do you want me to say? No matter what I say, it won’t change your mind. The media will report whatever they wish. But let me reiterate: we qualified as number one and we’re moving on to the next round.”

Pochettino remained upbeat when discussing the depth of his squad and its importance as they prepare to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32. Crucially, he noted the condition of Christian Pulisic, who made an impactful substitute appearance shortly before the hour mark, showing no signs of the calf injury that sidelined him in the previous match.

Pochettino stated that getting Pulisic some game time was “an objective” for this match, and while he didn’t clarify whether Pulisic would be fit to start against Bosnia, he expressed optimism about his progress.

“Yes, I’m pleased — he performed well,” Pochettino noted. “He made a good impact while he was on the field.”

He also highlighted other “priorities” for Thursday’s match, such as resting certain players and ensuring key starters avoided yellow cards that could lead to suspensions in the knockout rounds, which he felt were successfully achieved.

Pochettino pointed out that other teams, like Germany, faced similar decisions but chose to play most of their regulars and subsequently suffered a loss to Ecuador in their group stage finale. He asserted that the U.S. managed its circumstances effectively while keeping the ultimate goal in sight.

“Whether we won or lost this game doesn’t affect my mood,” he said. “The goal was to finish first, and we have achieved that. Now we move on to the next stage.”

“We are ready.”