Mauricio Pochettino: Blame me for USMNT hammering by Switzerland
U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino immediately took the blame after his side was thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland in a friendly in Nashville on Tuesday night.
Pochettino's starting XI featured six MLS players and 21-year-old Paxton Aaronson and the level of inexperience was evident from the start as the Swiss manhandled the Americans and scored four goals in a span of 23 minutes before half time.
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Pochettino attempted to shield his players from criticism during his post-match press conference, urging for the finger to be instead pointed at him.
'I don't like to give excuses. I'm the guilty one here,' he said. 'If you want to criticize me, go ahead.'
After the USMNT's fourth straight defeat, Pochettino admitted that his starting lineup was exposed against a much more seasoned European opponent and vowed to avoid making the same mistake in the future.
'First of all it's our responsibility and my responsibility for the choice of the starting XI,' said Pochettino. 'We wanted the entire team to have minutes and to play. I think that can go in the wrong direction. We were never in the game (in the first half) against Switzerland who have experienced players and are playing very well. I thought 'I can't blame the players. It's on us.'
'That decision didn't work,' he continued. 'And when that decision doesn't work you have to be critical of yourself.'
Pochettino attempted to minimize the blowout loss by saying that a shift to a back three and the inclusion of more experienced U.S. players evened the game in the final 45 minutes. 'The positive in the second half was that the team matched Switzerland in all areas. That's the takeaway we have to take.'
It's certainly a low bar to accept that a 4-0 loss before the U.S. begins Gold Cup play is anything but positive. But Pochettino insisted that the defeat wasn't a sign of something more concerning.
'The players are very motivated to go to the Gold Cup,' he said. 'The circumstances are the circumstances. Maybe we can win the Gold Cup and go to the World Cup and do well. The loss (to Switzerland) won't have a massive impact on our psychology.'
Asked if any players on the night had impressed or proven that they are international caliber players, Pochettino again shifted the spotlight onto himself, one that has dimmed considerably since he was announced as Gregg Berhalter's successor last September.
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'We have to take the pressure off the players. We have to help them,' he said. 'It was my decision and it was my fault. But it was with a good intention to give all the players a chance to compete for the Gold Cup. We matched Switzerland in the second half but the feeling from the first half was really bad.'
'We wanted to play two important teams from Europe,' Pochettino added. 'We wanted the players to feel this high level. These things can happen. We told the players to move (at half time) and play on. The players who came on did so in a difficult circumstance. They were 4-0 down. I liked the personality of the team in the second half. Every player off the bench contributed.'
Pochettino was pressed by reporters to name a player who had stood out. The 53-year-old Argentine stressed that assessing any players after that first half was 'difficult.'
'After a performance like that it's difficult to say after 90 minutes that this guy is in or out,' said Pochettino. 'We can't blame the players for that first half. My responsibility is to build the team. It's my responsibility. It's not to blame the players. But I think it's important for young players who have made a debut to see that it's a high level. You have to give more. With more experienced players in the second half we matched the opponent. For the Gold Cup we'll learn from that and make better decisions in the future.'
Pochettino repeated throughout the 20-minute press conference he and his staff will not let Tuesday night's loss repeat itself. However, only one team took the match seriously. The U.S. and Pochettino were exposed, with both tactical and technical flaws evident from the get go.
Asked if he was concerned that U.S. fans are losing faith in the team and may support Pochettino's side moving forward, Pochettino answered bluntly.
'The fans are going to be with us (at the World Cup).'
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