United States men\'s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear that mental fortitude will be a major factor in his player selection for the upcoming Gold Cup, where the team will face Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti in group stage competition.
In an interview released Tuesday by the U.S. Soccer Federation, Pochettino stressed that talent alone would not guarantee players a spot on the roster as he looks to rebuild following disappointing performances in the recent Nations League Finals.
\"The right mindset must be there, because we need to compete for our flag, our country,\" Pochettino said. \"We need to be intelligent in the way that we are going to select the players and not just choose based on talent alone. We need to have the right characters to be really competitive.\"
The USMNT suffered an unexpected setback in the Nations League last month, falling 1-0 to Panama in the semifinals before losing 2-1 to Canada in the third-place match. These defeats marked the first time the United States failed to win the tournament after claiming victory in its first three editions.
Following those losses, Pochettino publicly criticized his team\'s competitive spirit and effort levels, concerns he continues to emphasize ahead of the Gold Cup competition.
The former Tottenham and PSG manager has highlighted the need for players to understand their responsibility as national team representatives, particularly when opponents are highly motivated to face the United States.
\"For sure to start we must compete hard,\" Pochettino explained. \"We must match the intensity of our opponents, because in these tournaments they are always motivated to play against the USA.\"
Pochettino previously drew comparisons to Argentina\'s mentality in discussions with ESPN, suggesting the world champions\' warrior mindset as a model for his American squad: \"They [Argentina] go to war and to defend your badge, your flag, and that is what we need to create.\"
Before the Gold Cup tournament begins, the USMNT will return to action with two international friendlies, hosting Turkey on June 7 and Switzerland on June 10, providing Pochettino additional opportunities to evaluate potential squad members.
\"It\'s not just about showing up in your home country and trying to play nice soccer. No, you must be proud, you must fight for the people that would love to be in your position, for the millions of kids that are going to see us and dream to be one day where we are,\" Pochettino emphasized.
\"This is the type of responsibility and commitment we need to show in a different way than we did in Los Angeles.\"