Pochettino frustrated by USMNT criticism after Turkey loss
The USMNT head coach spoke after the last-minute defeat to Turkey and pushed back against reporters: “Your questions are a little bit weird.”
The USMNT was unable to finish the 2026 World Cup group stage with a perfect record. Turkey snatched victory from Mauricio Pochettino’s team in the final minute thanks to Ayhan’s goal. The result did not jeopardize the United States’ position in the group, which it had already won after last week’s 2-0 victory over Australia. Team USA had already qualified either way.
USMNT top World Cup group
Speaking at his postgame press conference in Los Angeles, the Argentine coach pushed back at the reporters in attendance. Despite finishing top of the group, Pochettino criticized the pessimistic tone of the questions.
“So far, nobody has congratulated us for finishing first in a very difficult group. I want to say that. We are a better team than we were before. I’ve been in soccer a long time. I know it was difficult for the guys to play without having something to compete for, and that’s why I’m happy with the performance (...) All the conclusions are positive. I’m happy, maybe I’m not showing because your questions are a little bit weird. But I’m happy, the players are happy because we are first. I’m confused, maybe the vibes are like we go home tonight and Turkey stays (in the World Cup), no?”
The Argentine coach played down the defeat and put it in the broader context of the World Cup.
“If we had won, people would say it didn’t matter. If we don’t win, they’ll say it mattered a lot,” he said of the effect of the Turkey result. “What I tell you won’t convince you. In the end, what I think doesn’t matter, because everyone writes what they want and thinks what they want. I’m very happy for the players, for the people of the United States, but the story isn’t about winning the other game, it’s about arriving in the best possible condition. The story is winning the World Cup, not winning three games. It’s a little mean-spirited, thinking small. What good is winning three games if you lose the next one and don’t win the World Cup? We should be talking about the team’s great performance in this tournament.”
Pochettino: “The main objective was to qualify as group winner”
The USMNT head coach referred to Germany’s result against Ecuador to put the defeat to Turkey into context. For “Poche,” taking all three points in the final Group D game was not as important as testing other players and giving minutes to those who had not yet featured at the World Cup.
“I remember that we finished top of the group and managed expectations well. Germany, as one of the main contenders, ended up losing. In third group games, when a team has already qualified, there are several situations that influence performance. The first objective was to qualify as group winner. The result is anecdotal; the priorities were different. We had to balance several things. Germany lost with all its starters. Many things could have happened.”
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