Mauricio Pochettino remains optimistic about the United States' chances at the upcoming World Cup, despite a recent 2-0 defeat to South Korea, marking their third consecutive friendly loss. The match saw Son Heung-Min, a player Pochettino previously managed at Tottenham, open the scoring in the 18th minute, followed by Lee Dong-gyeong sealing the victory before halftime.
Despite the scoreline, Pochettino highlighted the team's positive performance, pointing to an expected goals (xG) rate of 2.23 and 17 shots on goal. However, the USA squad were unable to convert their chances.
Since taking over as head coach in September 2024, the former Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain manager hasn't yet achieved the desired results. Nevertheless, the Argentine coach expressed confidence in his team's progress. "Overall, I think we were better than South Korea," Pochettino stated. "If you are not clinical in your own area, and in the opposite box, it’s difficult, but we create more chances, we have, you know, the feeling that we control the game."
Pochettino emphasized the need for a positive outlook, particularly regarding the second half performance. "I think we need to be positive, because in the second half the team played really well," he said. "We only conceded one shot on target and then the team showed character. I am so pleased in the way that we are evolving, from the Gold Cup today with different players, but also the players start to understand what we expect from them."
With the World Cup less than a year away, the USA's struggles against top-ranked teams continue to raise concerns. They haven't secured a win against a team within the top 25 of the world rankings since December 2022. However, Pochettino dismissed these concerns, asserting that the team's current form is not indicative of their potential for the World Cup.
"We need to start to win when the World Cup starts," Pochettino declared. "There are too many examples of teams that win during the previous five years and then arrive at the World Cup, and they don’t arrive in the best condition."
He drew upon his own experience, recalling Argentina's situation in the 2002 World Cup. "I was involved in 2002 with Argentina when we were beating teams for years and then at the World Cup we were out in the group stage," Pochettino explained.
Pochettino remains steadfast in his belief in the team's capabilities. "I think for sure we have talented players and we are going to be much better," he affirmed. "That is my message to the fans. We are going to arrive in a very good condition and I think we are going to be very, very difficult to beat."
The USA will have an opportunity to bounce back when they face Japan in Ohio in the coming days.
