Pochettino: USMNT complacency was a 'big punch'
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted he felt 'naïve' about the program's complacency when he took over in 2024, but his efforts to transform the team have paid off with a dominant start to the 2026 World Cup.
LIGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - United States men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino said he and his staff were "naïve" when he first signed his contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2024, and that the complacency around the program felt like a "big punch."
Pochettino and the USMNT are flying high at the World Cup, having already clinched the top spot in Group D with one game to spare, that being Thursday's group stage finale against Turkiye. The team has looked strong in its first two matches, a 4-1 hammering of Paraguay and a more difficult 2-0 triumph over Australia .
But when Pochetti…
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