Mauricio Pochettino declared on Thursday that, after months of assessing his player pool and testing different formations and approaches, it’s time to trust that his staff have set up the team for the best tournament possible.
“I was talking with a good friend that won the World Cup in 1986 with Argentina,” said Pochettino, who confirmed that all 26 US players are available for selection. “He said to me, ‘in relaxation, you become concentrated and focused.’ I think we try to be very professional in every single aspect of our preparation by creating a very good atmosphere where the player can feel comfortable and to embrace and, not to learn, but to understand what we expect”
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There have been tough lessons along the way, from the shock fourth-place finish at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League to March’s friendly defeats to Belgium and Portugal by a 7-2 aggregate. Even after the Belgian goal glut, Pochettino preached the importance of him presenting a confident demeanor so that his players would use it to guide their own thinking.
Seemingly, that mentality has stuck. Throughout the past two weeks, the team has spoken with, if not swagger, then quiet confidence that they’re ready to represent their nation in front of the home faithful.
“It’s special,” Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams said on Thursday, “and I think these are kind of the moments [where] you really need to stay present within it all, because no matter the circumstances, and no matter what happens, you’re going through it with your best friends. I think that connection, and that chemistry, and that bond is what has allowed us to grow over the past four years, especially since Qatar.”
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As the 2022 World Cup played out, Alex Freeman was a 17-year-old who hadn’t yet debuted for Orlando City. Matt Freese was ready to change clubs after years backing up Jamaica’s Andre Blake for the Philadelphia Union. Sebastian Berhalter had only just finished his first season with the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he had yet to lock down a spot as a starter.
They, along with ten others, are now poised to make their World Cup debuts close to home.
“Since Qatar, obviously the roster has changed,” Adams said. You get more fresh faces in, [and it] adds a little bit of a different energy and vibe. But the connection hasn’t wavered, and I think that’s the most important thing.”
That cohesion had a viral moment on Wednesday night, as US Soccer posted video reaction of the players watching the New York Knicks’ record comeback over the San Antonio Spurs. Adams is one of a few lifelong Knicks fans among the bunch, while others (like Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi) hail from Texas. Others are just anti-Knicks; Adams named Haji Wright, a diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan, and Brenden Aaronson among this group.
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“He’s a Sixers fan, he can’t say anything,” Adams quipped.
Just as Philadelphia tried to “trust the process” all the way to a title, the US are making similar bets on the steps they’ve taken to earn a place on this squad.
As a result, and perhaps supported by the sage wisdom of his World Cup champion pal, Pochettino doesn’t feel that he needs a Hollywood-caliber pep talk to send his group out in Los Angeles.
“I think now they don’t need an external motivation or inspirational speech,” Pochettino said. “If you know the mindset of the player, they need before [the game is close] to get [to] their best. They need motivation and speech and inspiration when they go to train and improve in every single area. Tomorrow is late.”
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Following Mexico’s 2-0 win in Group A, the US will want to play with similar quality and confidence from the opening whistle. On Wednesday, Chris Richards set aims to be “the top dog” in Group D. On Thursday, Adams cracked a wry smile as he said he was “definitely not thinking about third place, that’s for sure.”
Pochettino said he has already determined his starters for the Paraguay clash, though he said he’s keeping it to himself to keep outsiders from finding out. (“If I tell you they know, you are going to start to call them,” he said with a laugh.) All that’s left now is to play the games.
“The most important [thing] is not to be disconnected with your emotional relationship with the game,” Pochettino said. “We were talking about that. They need to think tomorrow and play like they are a child – with no pressure, with no responsibility. It’s to play, doing what they need to do and what they know to do.”
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