A dominant opening victory has fueled belief that home-field advantage and tactical preparation can propel the USMNT to historic heights under Mauricio Pochettino’s high-energy leadership.
Mauricio Pochettino said the United States are “winning a lot of fans” after opening their World Cup campaign in the best possible way, with a 4-1 win over Paraguay.
The USMNT made a strong start to the tournament, taking control of their first group game and giving the home crowd the kind of performance Pochettino had spoken about wanting before the opener.
Despite being pleased with the result, the Argentina-born coach was also careful not to let the win let everyone get carried away.
“The performance was really good,” Pochettino said.
“We really played well. We are so happy but that is only the start. It’s still two games to play.”
Pochettino praised the starting XI, the players who came off the bench and the staff around the squad. He then turned towards the supporters, making a point of thanking the fans for the noise and energy around the team..
"On behalf of the whole team, massive thank you to the fans, because the energy that they relate to the team was amazing," he said, adding that the team can do “amazing things” if the fans stay behind them in that way.
A 4-1 win is one thing. At home, in a World Cup, with the crowd feeding off the performance, gives the result a different feel.
Pochettino also spoke about the work behind the performance. He said the extended preparation period before the tournament had given him the chance to actually coach the players, rather than just select them and send them onto the pitch.
“When you only have a few days, you only select players,” he said.
“You cannot coach players.”
This time, he has had the group for weeks, and he felt that the work showed against Paraguay. The press, the approach, the confidence and the way the players handled the occasion all pointed back to that preparation.
He was also asked about the pressure of playing a World Cup on home soil. Pochettino said the key had been turning expectation into energy, letting the players feel free within the team’s organisation.
“I think what was the key is to translate all that expectation and pressure into energy,” he said.
The USMNT did that against Paraguay. They played with pace, confidence and enough control to make the first night feel like more than just a routine opening win.
Pochettino will not want that to get away from them. He said more than once that the journey will be difficult and that the team still need to improve.
But the first statement has been made.
The United States wanted a performance that could pull people in and that’s exactly what they gave.
