Pochettino Hands Off the Motive Talk as the U.S. Opens Its Home World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino said he has already said enough ahead of the United States’ first match at the home World Cup, against Paraguay on Friday night into Saturday at 4:00 a.m. in Los Angeles. After a year and a half of preparation, with dozens of matches, training camps and constant conversations with his players, the Argentine coach said the responsibility is now with the squad. “I already spoke too much,” he said, adding, “Don’t expect a big inspirational speech before the game.”

Pochettino said the key now is emotional and mental readiness, not more tactical talk. He stressed that physical preparation, tactics and technique matter, but that no team can perform at the required level without mental sharpness. He praised the group atmosphere inside the U.S. camp, saying it is “one of the best” he has experienced as a player or coach. He also said all 26 players are available, including Chris Richards, who recently had a physical issue.

The coach tried to keep the focus off Christian Pulisic, the American star, saying the team matters more than any individual. “The badge on the shirt and the national team itself are more important than any name,” he said, adding that success for him means winning, then winning again, and that anything short of reaching the final and lifting the trophy would be hard to call success. He also said he is not a fan of the cooling breaks FIFA has planned for hot conditions, though he acknowledged they can help coaches make adjustments.

Paraguay, which is back at a World Cup for the first time since 2010, is viewed as a difficult opponent. Pochettino, who knows the South Americans well from his Argentina background, called them “a sister” nation and described them as tough, competitive and aggressive. He expects a very hard match, while more than 70,000 fans are expected in the Los Angeles stadium for the start of the tournament on U.S. soil for the first time since 1994. In Paraguay’s press conference, Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez broke into tears while speaking about representing his country, and coach Gustavo Alfaro said, “There are no words. This is what we feel, and this is what all Paraguay feel.”