Pochettino's Message After Latest U.S. Setback? ‘We need to be positive’

Two days after the U.S. men’s national team suffered yet another deflating loss to one of FIFA’s Top 25 teams, coach Mauricio Pochettino on Monday doubled down on his post-match contention that the Americans had actually outplayed South Korea in Saturday’s 2-0 loss.

Speaking in Columbus, Ohio ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan, the former Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager said he was even more pleased with how his team played after reviewing the match.

"We performed, despite the result, in a very good way," Pochettino said. "The players did what we wanted."

The highly-regarded 53-year-old Argentine has come under increasing scrutiny as the one-year anniversary of his high-profile hiring approaches on Wednesday. He has posted a record of nine wins, six losses, and one draw in 16 matches. 

Mauricio Pochettino is approaching one year in charge of the U.S. men's national team. (Photo by Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

But two of those defeats came against chief rival Mexico. And after a full strength USMNT was upset by Canada and Panama in March’s Concacaf Nations League finals, Pochettino summoned a mostly MLS-based squad for the Gold Cup in June and July.

This month, he again left several European-based mainstays — 2022 World Cup veterans Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Antonee "Jedi" Robinson among them — home, opening the door for criticism if results suffered as a result.

It came swiftly in the wake of Saturday’s defeat.

"Of course I want to win," a notably defensive Pochettino said on Monday. "I wanted to win against South Korea. I want to win tomorrow against Japan.

"You know very well that we are very competitive," he went on. "But at the same time also is the process and the