Pochettino Makes it Clear: No One Has a Guaranteed Spot in the US National Team
The coach of the United States men’s national soccer team, Mauricio Pochettino, has reiterated his firm stance on the team composition for the World Cup, stating that “no one can feel safe” regarding their place on the final list. Pochettino emphasized that the players currently called up deserve to be on the team.
This statement includes key stars such as Christian Pulisic, from AC Milan, and Tyler Adams, midfielder for Bournemouth, both absent due to injury and ruled out for the friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.
Pulisic is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered last month, a situation Pochettino described as “bad luck.” Weston McKennie (Juventus), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), and Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen) are also out of the squad. Despite these absences, Pochettino expressed his confidence in the current squad of 24 players.
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“For me, these are the players who deserve to be here today and they are the players we want to see, they are the players who are our choice, our selection,” said Pochettino. “And nobody can feel safe or nobody can feel that they are going to be [on the list], even the names you say: Pulisic or Tyler Adams. I think the federation is bigger than the names that [are in] the national team.”
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino added: “It’s a great opportunity at the moment when we decided to choose another player to choose another player. That player needs to appear and step up and say: ‘Yes, we also have the opportunity to be part of the list for the next World Cup'”.Regarding Pulisic, Pochettino regretted the injury, but emphasized that the most important thing is for the player to be in shape for when the list is announced in May.
“[Pulisic] was perfect when he played against Australia, but that happened and we already saw what happened,” he commented. “The most important thing is that all the players arrive in good shape on the day we are going to start the World Cup, or maybe a little earlier because I need to prepare the list.”
American defender Tim Ream noted that the final selection for the World Cup is approaching faster than it seems. According to his calculations, the United States team has only 10 training sessions before the World Cup roster is announced, which puts the situation in a different perspective.
“When you talk about time, number of days, it’s probably not [close], but when you talk about number of matches, number of training sessions, number of concentrations, [the World Cup] is knocking on our door.”
Ream added that he doesn’t think the absences will change much in terms of what the United States hopes to achieve in the upcoming friendlies, as well as in the practices leading up to them.
“Each player has their own goals in mind, but those goals have to fit in with what Mauricio wants and what the staff wants, and the guys have the opportunity to come and impress and potentially help their case to be part of the team that goes to the World Cup,” he said. “And the guys who are here or have been here, it’s the same situation.”
“We’re all in the same boat. You have to continuously earn your place and keep seizing opportunities.”
A Ream was asked if he sees desperation in the way the United States players train. He said it’s more a case of intense concentration.
“There’s a little more bite in the practices. There’s intensity, there’s more aggressiveness,” he said. “The guys are doing everything they can to be part of the team, and I think as we’ve gotten closer, you see that more and more, and that’s a good thing.”
“The boys are desperate to be part of the group, part of the team, and part of a World Cup at home.”
