Latest news with #Pochettino
New York Times
5 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
Pochettino likens Pulisic to USA's Messi, addresses stars passing on Gold Cup
U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino said this week he hopes to instill in his team the type of urgency and desire to play for the national team that exists in other countries. Speaking on the Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard podcast, Pochettino cited some of the biggest names he has coached — Argentine legend Lionel Messi, French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian star Neymar — as examples of top players who remain 'desperate' to play for their respective national teams. Advertisement 'The people need to prioritize the national team,' Pochettino said. 'We were talking about Argentine players, or Brazilian players or English players or Spanish players, they are desperate. Even Messi, even Neymar, even Mbappé for France, these guys are desperate to go to the national team. For them, when they go, they don't see if it's a friendly game, if it's an official game, it's a World Cup, it doesn't matter, because the possibility to defend one time more your flag, your shirt. It's about to feel proud. And that is the responsibility to us to translate.' The comments are striking after Christian Pulisic made the decision, in conjunction with U.S. Soccer, to skip this summer's Gold Cup. Citing his heavy workload with AC Milan and the U.S. — Pulisic is one of just 10 outfield players in the top five European leagues to appear in 50 games in each of the past two seasons — Pulisic felt he needed the rest in order to be healthy for next summer's World Cup. Donovan compared Pulisic to Messi in that he has the most eyeballs on him of any American player and asked how the staff could handle competing in the tournament this summer without Pulisic. Pochettino praised his team's top player and said he does not question Pulisic's commitment to the group or the country. 'I think Christian in the last year showed a great quality,' Pochettino said. 'He's performing in Europe, also he's performing with the national team. He's a very talented player that can help us to win. You say people compare Messi with Christian Pulisic. I don't want to be disrespectful with Messi or Pulisic, but I think in this country, Pulisic should be our Messi, because he's an iconic player, the kids on the street for sure if you ask one soccer player in this country, it's Pulisic. 'We have very good communication with our players. Christian is a very nice guy, is very committed to the national team and he wants to help and of course is desperate to play in the World Cup and arrive in the best condition. All these conversations that we were taking with the players, I think that was the best decision to help him because every player are in different circumstances, and even if I want Christian here or another player here – Antonee (Robinson, injured Fulham left back) or like this – I think no one or another teammate is going to see badly about if I'm saying that, because I think … sometimes you need to put the interest in the medium and long term than in the present. Advertisement 'Because for me after the March camp, if I say, 'OK I don't care about [anything], I want to win tomorrow,' [there] is [a] consequence after, because I think we are all preparing and focused on the World Cup. And sometimes we need to be open and flexible in some decisions. When we talk about these types of decisions for us, it was a tough decision … It was our decision in the end, because if you say you need to come — you cannot force the player to come — but I think I need to be fair and say it was a collective decision to try to find the best for the national team and the best for the player.' 'We are building something and always when you are building something, always there are up and downs in this period. It's true that we are a little bit disappointed. We were really excited after January. not because of the two (games) … but how the players, how the team showed the responsibility that we wanted to translate. Then with all the circumstances in March, it didn't help us to show that.' The Gold Cup was meant to be an important team-building month for the U.S. under Pochettino, his first extended camp with the U.S. since taking over after last summer's Copa América failure. Now it takes on new meaning as Pochettino evaluates his wider national team pool. That being said, Pochettino insisted the goal was still to win. Ultimately, even without Pulisic and other starters — Robinson, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun and Gio Reyna are also missing the tournament via injury or FIFA Club World Cup duty — the tournament serves as a step toward next summer's World Cup. That is true for MLS players trying to break into the squad, but also for others, including World Cup starter Matt Turner. Pochettino said on the podcast he told Turner that the goalkeeper had to start finding minutes in order to be ready for the World Cup. Advertisement 'We are very open,' Pochettino said. 'We don't have fears to talk with the player. Sometimes it's painful because you need to tell some players: 'Look, you need to play.' At the moment OK, so far it's good, because we are checking your character, your personality, your capacity to be a leader, the leadership that you have, but at some point to be a leader you need to compete.' Pochettino also praised players like Diego Luna, who have started to show they bring value to the squad simply with their mentality and approach. Pochettino noted that Luna didn't want to come out of the game after being elbowed in the nose during a January-camp friendly, then bloodied and taped up, assisted on a goal. Asked about who the leaders are on the team, Pochettino alluded to giving everyone a chance to prove their role — whether as a squad player, a starter or a leader. 'When we arrived in October I think the picture changed in the national team. In the way that we like to translate the message and the way that we are open to give the opportunity to all the players to step up and show the character,' Pochettino said. 'Because we don't want to assume that because four years ago someone was captain now should be the captain, because the circumstance changed. I think we are very open and giving the opportunity to the group and the players that are involved to say, 'Come on, show me.' For me, it's a natural process. Sometimes some players can surprise you and can step up. 'The most important thing is to see in a spontaneous way who will step up when things are wrong, when the stress is there, when the pressure is there, who is going to say 'Hey, I am here.'' There is, of course, an enormous amount of pressure on the team to perform in next summer's tournament. The U.S. advance to the knockout round in the 2022 World Cup with one of the youngest squads in the world. The belief that the payoff would come in 2026. Struggles in last summer's Copa América, where the U.S. was eliminated in the group stage, and in this spring's Concacaf Nations League, where it lost to Panama and Canada, have upped the stakes. 'I feel the responsibility. We all feel the responsibility,' Pochettino said. 'Knowing that it's soccer or football, it's about the joy, it's about not to put too much pressure on the players, because the players need to perform. … But yes of course it's a massive pressure. The mentality and the culture of this country is to win. Advertisement 'The size of this country puts you in a position that you need to deliver. You need to show that you are brave, that you are a winner, but not talking like I am now. It's easy to talk. The most important is go and to show. Show on the pitch when you need to defend your flag there, fighting and being a team, that is a moment to say, 'Yes we have quality, I am a good player, but now it's about to defend your country.''
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mauricio Pochettino subtly called out Pulisic and USMNT stars for skipping Gold Cup
Mauricio Pochettino subtly called out Pulisic and USMNT stars for skipping Gold Cup The U.S. men's national team is set to play in its last remaining competitive tournament before co-hosting the World Cup in 2026, and the vibes could not be much worse. Even head coach Mauricio Pochettino is speaking out about it. When the USMNT announced the rosters for the Gold Cup, the notable absences of stars like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah sparked an uproar among U.S. soccer fans. The team was already going to be shorthanded with several key players tied into Club World Cup duties, so it seemed imperative for the best remaining players to take advantage of the last extended camp together for the next year. Pulisic — citing the need for rest — saw it differently. And that led to Pochettino pointing out the contrasting mentality global superstars take to national team duty. He said that players he's coached like Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane were all "desperate" to play for their national teams. Pochettino said in a podcast appearance with former USMNT stars Landon Donovan and Tim Howard: "Today, we have plenty of players playing abroad for USA. But the most important thing is the culture we saw in you (Tim Howard and Landon Donovan), that to be desperate to come and be the priority - the national team. ... Even Messi, even Neymar, even Mbappe for France. We were working with these guys, Harry Kane. These guys are desperate to go to the national team. And for them, when they go, they don't see if it's a friendly game. It's an official game. It's a World Cup. It doesn't matter. Because the possibility to defend one time more, your flag, your shirt, I want to feel proud about that. And that it the responsibility of us to translate." Those comments appeared to be an obvious jab at Pulisic, Robinson and others for viewing the Gold Cup as not worth their time. And sure, the Gold Cup has been relegated to a developmental tournament in recent years in light of the CONCACAF Nations League. But Pochettino wants to see a culture of players who look at USMNT duty as an honor regardless of the tournament or competition. That mentality had clearly been lost among this current generation of players despite the immense individual talent. And Pochettino is running out of time to reinstate it.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Cole Palmer a big fish out of water at Chelsea
These tensions have seldom been far from the surface. Palmer has cut a detached, almost disinterested figure at times this season, morphing from a player who scored 14 goals in his first 23 games to one who suffered a 16-match drought. His influence waned in all departments: between January and mid-April, he failed even to register an assist. The air of dissatisfaction was magnified when he posted a reminder on Instagram of his four goals against Everton 12 months earlier, captioning footage of that display with one word: 'Enjoyment.' A sign that he was tiring of Maresca's system, and pining for a return to the free role he enjoyed under Mauricio Pochettino? In public, he did nothing to challenge that theory. It is hardly as if Palmer is unfamiliar with Maresca's methods: after all, they have worked together since their days with Manchester City's under-21s. How long can the lovelessness last? But at this unforgiving level, you question how long such a loveless relationship can last. Palmer, Wythenshawe born and bred, has taken time to settle at Chelsea, giving the impression of a young man parachuted into the Surrey stockbroker belt and wrenched away from his childhood friends in Manchester. Although the club found him a home, he said once that he did not even know what the M25 was – a fairly startling admission, given the location of Chelsea's Cobham training ground, just a mile from Junction 9. Is he secretly hankering for a return to the North West, just two years after he left City? For the moment, any such motivation is difficult to establish. In any case, it would require an outrageous offer even to begin to extricate him from his golden-handcuffs deal at Chelsea, extended until 2033. Palmer has, though, dropped the odd hint that home is where the heart is. 'Manchester's better,' he said, when we met a few months ago in Weybridge, near his Esher flat. 'It's quiet here, no distractions.' The comment did little to inspire confidence that he regarded Chelsea as his great passion project. And it should serve as a warning that Maresca can ill afford to stifle him much longer.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Pochettino turns to an unlikely savior for USMNT's struggles: MLS
So far, the conversation around the United States' Gold Cup camp roster is primarily about absence. Christian Pulisic isn't there. Neither is Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, or Gio Reyna. Yunus Musah is missing for personal reasons. Josh Sargent is out for 'football reasons.' Mauricio Pochettino doesn't have this name, he doesn't have that name. He also doesn't have much time. That was already the case when he took on the US job with just two years to go before a home World Cup, but the situation seems all the more pressing now, a year away from the international game's signature event and only a couple months removed from some Concacaf Nations League results that were, well, a bit catastrophic. Fans want to see Pochettino and his team right the ship. They want to see the results they've envisioned for the better part of a decade since that night in Trinidad in 2017. They want goals. They want glory. And in his search for answers, Pochettino seems to be staring directly at one of the oldest, simplest types of analysis. 'You need to fight, you need to show attitude, the right attitude, but not only that, perform, and be brave,' he said of the players coming into camp prior to the Gold Cup. That says one simple thing to me. Pochettino thinks the current USMNT crop does not have the asset most prized by sports radio hosts: that dawg in them. It's hard to say he's wrong. While we've seen this USMNT generation produce some brilliant moments and disciplined results, we've seen them fall apart just as much. For as joyous as Pulisic is to watch when he's playing with a chip on his shoulder and a spring in his step, he's equally as miserable cutting the figure he did against Panama in March. There are two wolves inside you, etc. And while this generation of players may have a claim to being the most talented USMNT ever, talent does not win matches or even score goals. There's a reason you still have to play the game. So in comes a curious mixture of longtime mainstays and fresh blood. There are five players without a cap on the Gold Cup camp roster, many more with little international experience, and in total, 16 players from MLS from the 27-man group – players who were called upon in place of European-based players that could make it, like Sargent and Joe Scally. Pochettino is still looking for pieces he thinks the USMNT is missing. And MLS is where he's looking. An international coach looking for talent in his team's domestic league shouldn't be a shock, but it's been the opposite of how USMNT rosters have been constructed for the last five years. Since Jürgen Klinsmann's dismissal in 2016 and Bruce Arena's ill-fated return, USMNT roster-building has looked a little bit like a new Football Manager save. Younger and younger additions were celebrated, then damn-near required. Rosters with heavy representation from European clubs (good) were cheered, while MLS mainstays (bad) were trashed. Only three MLS players started for the US in their games at the 2022 World Cup. At Copa América 2024, that number dropped to zero. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Obviously, that Copa América didn't go to plan. Neither did March's Nations League finals. So, in comes Diego Luna, he of a particular testicular fortitude. Patrick Agyemang, despite Charlotte's woeful MLS form of late, is back, and so is Max Arfsten, who went from a 'hey, you're here' addition to the Nations League roster to starting the third-place match. Matt Freese, DeJuan Jones, Jack McGlynn, Brian White are there too. And in one of the more ridiculous karmic twists, Gregg Berhalter's son Sebastian earns his first call-up on the back of a legitimately stunning run of form with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Are these players the talent that's going to carry the USMNT over the hump and into World Cup glory next summer? Maybe not. It's still a longshot to go from a Gold Cup camp participant to a World Cup roster in a year. But Pochettino isn't necessarily looking for talent. He's looking for players that know how to win. The ones who will do anything to get a result despite not having a famous name on their back or a world-renowned club crest on their chest. Once upon a time, the USMNT specialized in that type of player. Now Pochettino seems to be searching for them once more. Crucially, Pochettino may be the only coach that could do exactly this type of reversion for the US. Could you imagine Gregg Berhalter calling in a roster this heavily laden with MLS players in 2025? Can you imagine the response from fans and media if any American coach that hypothetically took the reins of the national team two years before the '26 World Cup did this? The digital rivers would run red. But Pochettino has the CV to go against this particular grain of USMNT fandom. The man who's managed Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and many more has taken stock of the players at the United States' disposal and decided he needed a closer look at MLS. There's no guarantee this particular gambit works. But it's a fascinating search for an old identity being initiated by a man many thought would pluck the USMNT from the mediocrity of its past.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
VIDEO: Conor Garland Has ‘An Opportunity To Win A Gold Medal'
Mauricio Pochettino Pochettino hopes to build on challenging start as USA coach It has not been the easiest start to life for Mauricio Pochettino as Head Coach for the United States Men's National Team as the Argentine would have envisaged. Results have been disappointing as the one year to go mark to the 2026 World Cup quickly approaches, a tournament which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. At CNN's Techwood location recently in Atlanta, Poch sat down with TNT Sports' Melissa Ortiz to discuss a range of topics, starting with the importance of the team's upcoming friendly matches against Türkiye and Switzerland. 3:58 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
