{"id":3244,"date":"2026-06-16T22:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=3244"},"modified":"2026-06-16T22:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:05:27","slug":"were-american-we-dont-take-s-us-says-pochettino-instilled-strong-mentality-for-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=3244","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We\u2019re American. We don\u2019t take s\u2014.\u2019 US says Pochettino instilled strong mentality for World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Although the cheers are still ringing in the Americans\u2019 ears after their impressive World Cup-opening victory, this U.S. team says it\u2019s prepared for the physical and mental challenges of the weeks ahead \u2014 including what\u2019s likely to be a physical meeting with Australia on Friday.<\/p>\n

Read more Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 sparks France with two goals in 3-1 win over Senegal at the World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter gives credit for this tenacity to coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has taken over a team that repeatedly flopped on the international stage and infused it with a stronger mentality grounded in a few core beliefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one is that we\u2019re American. We don\u2019t take s\u2014-,\u201d Berhalter said Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s something that (Pochettino) really put in,\u201d Berhalter continued. \u201cEven though he\u2019s Argentinian, he has that mindset of, like, \u2018Look, this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America is about.\u2019 So I think he just, you know, even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we\u2019re about. He really drilled that into us, and I think that\u2019s something that has helped us this last cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n

That mentality was partly forged last October when the U.S. faced Australia in what turned into a scrappy 2-1 friendly victory in Colorado. Pochettino lambasted his team at halftime, imploring the players to stand up for themselves after the Socceroos delivered physical tackles and punishing play while U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic left with an injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching that game last year, you could see they were up for it,\u201d said Berhalter, whose father, Gregg, coached the U.S. team before Pochettino. \u201cThey were putting in challenges, and I think that\u2019s one of the reasons Mauricio had that halftime rant, and said, \u2018These guys can\u2019t kick us around.\u2019 I think he was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

The players heard their coach\u2019s pleas, and they responded with an increased physicality in a game that ended with a combined 19 fouls and two yellow cards.<\/p>\n

Read more France striker Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 scores his 13th World Cup goal, breaking a tie with Pel\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n

The Americans have largely kept it up since then, playing with a confidence and assertiveness that manifested throughout their 4-1 victory over Paraguay last Friday in Inglewood, California. Although they haven\u2019t racked up a string of impressive victories since Pochettino took over, the team\u2019s improvements in temperament and tactics have been obvious, and the World Cup could be the place where everything blossoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat game in Colorado was fun,\u201d winger Tim Weah said with a grin. \u201cThat experience was fun. It was aggressive. I think from that game, we\u2019ve changed a lot. We\u2019ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pulisic\u2019s health is again a concern for the Americans after he was forced to work out on his own for the second straight training session Tuesday because of the calf injury that limited him to the first half against Paraguay. The team described its playmaking attacker as \u201cday to day\u201d for Friday\u2019s match in Seattle.<\/p>\n

Even if Pulisic is limited again, the Americans believe they can go toe-to-toe with Australia again. Berhalter could play an important role after he made his World Cup debut by replacing Pulisic for the second half against Paraguay.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a physical game, but a fun game, and we\u2019re excited,\u201d Berhalter said. \u201c(The Socceroos) are going to fight. We like teams that have that brotherhood, you know? We like teams that you can see they\u2019re hungry, they want to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Brewers shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt called up ahead of series with Guardians<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP World Cup: https:\/\/apnews.com\/fifa-world-cup<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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