USMNT's Pochettino pushes back on talk of 'regular' players - ESPN

A defensive Mauricio Pochettino lambasted the idea of the United States men's national team having «regular players» after his alternate XI gained a stunning 5-1 victory over Uruguay on Tuesday night, marking the first time the U.S. has scored five goals against a World Cup winner or any South American side.

«I don't want to be negative, no, but I hate, I hate that, 'not regular players.' What [does it] mean?» Pochettino said postgame at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, when asked about the impact of a win that didn't feature several big names. «It's USA playing, it's the national team. Stop with that mindset. Every time that our decision is about to pick a starting XI, it's the U.S. men's national team playing.

»I hate to talk in this way. It's so disrespectful. It's so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys.… What I really, really appreciate from the team, for the roster and for all the staff, is in the way that we start to connect together, and that is the most important thing."

Heading into the November window, Pochettino didn't call upon marquee stars such as AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, Crystal Palace's Chris Richards, Marseille's Tim Weah, and Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, who have been nursing injuries. High-profile midfielder Weston McKennie was also left out amid changes within Juventus.

Pochettino highlighted last week that no roster spot for the 2026 World Cup was «safe.» Following Tuesday's win, the coach noted his satisfaction with the progress of the November camp.

«I am really, really happy, because the reality is much better [than] what you think. Much, much better. Before, it was much, much different. It was completely different,» said Pochettino, now unbeaten in five