Mauricio Pochettino criticized questions over his team’s performance in a 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday, telling journalists he expected to be congratulated for leading the US to a first-place finish in the group and found their questions about the dead-rubber loss “weird”.
The US had secured top spot in Group D on the back of two historic performances – a 4-1 opening win against Paraguay in which the team scored more goals in a World Cup match than ever before, and a 2-0 victory over Australia that secured a first six-point opening to a World Cup.
Much of the discussion going into the match against Turkey centered on whether the US would be able to maintain the considerable momentum gained through those results and performances. The loss, off a Turkey goal scored with the last kick, raised questions about whether that momentum can continue against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
“[Momentum] is a topic that I don’t understand,” Pochettino said when asked about how the loss would affect his team’s prospects. “What is momentum? To play with the same team that we played against Australia? And to take the risk to receive a yellow card and not to play the next game? Did Germany lose the momentum too [in their 2-1 loss to Ecuador]? I don’t know. [There are] too many topics in soccer that I don’t understand. The objective was to finish first, and we are first, and now is the next stage, and it’s going to be a final, and we are ready.”
Pochettino went on: “I think it’s all positive, and I am so positive, and I am happy. Maybe I am not showing because your questions are a little bit weird, but I am so happy, and the players are happy, because I think we perform, we compete, and we are first … Maybe I am confused, but the mood, the vibes [in here] is like we go home tonight and Turkey stays.”
Asked by the Guardian about which ways he felt his team could improve collectively after the loss, Pochettino began by pointing out that the team had yet to be congratulated for topping the group.
“At the moment, no one congratulated us for finishing first in a very difficult group. I congratulate the players, the staff and USA and the fans to finish first in a very difficult group. My answer is, you always learn when you are in a World Cup. There were plenty of positive things today. Plenty of players that made a debut, or made their first start. I think we are much better team now than before. I think it’s not easy to do after winning two games, preparing for the next stage and playing a team that is not playing for nothing. It was difficult for the boys to go there and try to perform and that’s why I’m so happy about the performance.”
After further questions about what the squad depth showed in a competitive performance against Turkey, Pochettino again returned to his incredulous feeling.
after newsletter promotion
“I’m sorry guys, it cannot be possible that Turkey finishes celebrating the three points, Australia is celebrating the qualification, Paraguay celebrating the qualification, and [I] come here, and for you not to say congratulations, that we won the group,” he said. “That is a little bit sad. I need to [remind] you and everyone that we won the group. You guys, we won.”