Mauricio Pochettino says he’s “not a mannequin” but he’s the USMNT coach amid Christian Pulisic’s comments on playing for the team.
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POCHETTINO SAYS HE SIGNED UP AS USMNT COACH AND ‘NOT A MANNEQUIN’ AHEAD OF WORLD CUP 2026
Pochettino says he signed up as USMNT coach in September 2024 and “not a mannequin” amid Pulisic’s comments ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026.
Furthermore, the 53-year-old Argentinian manager understood Pulisic’s plan of skipping USMNT’s stint at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Moreover, Pulisic cited the need for rest following two seasons with Italian Club AC Milan but changed his mind and wanted to be involved in pre-Gold Cup exhibitions.
However, Pochettino turned him down and insisted players should understand the coaching staff’s plan.
“That’s the coach’s decision. I fully respect that. I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is,” the manager said.
“When I signed my contract with the (US Soccer) Federation, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin,” he added.
PULISIC’S ABSENCE CHANGES MAKEUP OF USMNT’S ROSTER IN GOLD CUP
The absence of Pulisic and several other stars have changed the makeup of USMNT’s lineup for the Gold Cup.
Moreover, Pulisic, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson are recovering from exhausting stints in European leagues.
Furthermore, Pochettino trusts his current lineup will step up amid his stars’ absence.
“I think we want to win and compete really well in the Gold Cup, and it’s going to be tough,” the USMNT manager said.
“But I think what we expect is what we saw, and then we need to have the capacity to continue giving tools to the players to be better and better,” he added.
USMNT DEFENDER SAYS IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAY SEEN DESPITE EARLY LOSSES
USMNT defender Tyler Adams says the team has shown improvements despite the losses.
Furthermore, the 26-year-old midfielder lauded the new players for building “a good building block” in their preparations.
Moreover, he acknowledged that most of the players are competing “from outside of CONCACAF” for the first time.
“I think for the first time, probably in the past few camps, we’re going to take a lot more positives away than negatives,” Adams said.
“The game is just a little bit different, but they played excellent,” he added.
