Mauricio Pochettino, who was introduced on Friday as the new coach of the United States, set high goals for his administration and said that his players must believe that they can “win the World Cup” that his country will host in 2026 when they start working with him.
Pochettino made this statement at a press conference held in New York, accompanied by the president of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), Cindy Parlow Coneand the sports director Matt Crocker. At the event the Argentine coach He expressed his pride in being the first Latin American coach to take the reins of Team USA, with less than two years to go until the 2026 World Cup, which the North American country will host together with Mexico and Canada.
“A huge challenge”
Dressed in a blue suit and white shirt, Pochettino appeared very smiling and motivated, convinced that he faces an “enormous challenge” in leading the United States to a “different level”.
“They say there is no time to prepare, what I say is that I think that We have enough time, I don’t want to bring excuses“Football is like that, you have to press the right button. The players are intelligent, they can play differently. We have to believe, we have to believe that we can win, that we can win the World Cup, because if not it will be difficult,” Pochettino stressed.
“Thinking big”
“We want the players to come to the training camp thinking big. They must put their talent at the service of the team. That will be the huge challenge,” added the former Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea manager.
The United States was eliminated in the group stage at the last Copa America, which it hosted, under the management of Gregg Berhalter. The coach was fired in July after that tournament.
Get out of the comfort zone
“There is a huge potential and the challenge of taking the men’s team to a different level, which perhaps they have approached at the time, is a huge challenge. This is a challenge that takes us out of our comfort zone. This is about entering into what one does not know, taking yourself out of your comfort zone. to be able to challenge yourself,” Pochettino assured.
“It’s a challenge for us to refresh ourselves in a football that has always been attractive to us, but which now gives us the opportunity to play it from here,” he added.
The Messi effect
Pochettino considered that the signing of Leo Messi by Inter Miami of the MLS in 2023 made Americans even more interested in soccer and showed his pride in the way Argentina exports its talent, on the field and on the bench.
“I take it as a big responsibility, I hope that those 70 million Latinos come to support the team. “We need everyone’s support. All the stadiums when the national team plays have to be full, they have to fight for a ticket,” he said.
“The Argentine coach has value for the way he experiences football, who better than an Argentine to convey that emotion,” said Pochettino.
Finding the idea
The Argentine coach stressed that his priority is to get to know his players, follow them during the season in their clubs and talk to them to find a football idea that allows them to reach their maximum potential.
“We will try to be attentive and leave the doors open for them to show that they can represent. They have to understand that if they perform, we will be there watching,” he explained.
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“The most important thing is to establish an idea that works with everyone, in which the players believe. We have to listen, share ideas. We are very flexible, we are a coaching staff that likes aesthetics, we like to play good football, we have to attract fans. We want to have possession, we have to run, but when we don’t have the ball we have to be aggressive, competitive. The potential is there, the talent is there, it’s about creating the best conditions,” explained Pochettino.
