Mauricio Pochettino urged fans to remain patient on Sunday as the United States succumbed to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Canada, maintaining that there is still ample time to rectify their course ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Following a disheartening CONCACAF Nations League semi-final defeat to Panama on Thursday, Pochettino implored his side to exhibit more urgency and take calculated risks in their third-place clash with Canada.
However, his calls seemed to go unanswered, as his team displayed yet another uninspired performance, failing to register a single shot—on or off target—in the first half-hour at SoFi Stadium.
This marked another discouraging outing for the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, who are set to return to the same venue for their opening match on June 12 next year.
Pochettino, who took the reins last year after the unsuccessful second tenure of Gregg Berhalter, remains optimistic that his squad will be in a significantly improved position by that time.
“Throughout history, there are countless examples of teams that have struggled while building towards a World Cup but then found their form just in time,” Pochettino remarked.
“So I want to convey a message to the fans—’Don’t be negative, don’t dwell on bad feelings’. It’s possible to turn things around. Yet, our primary focus is the World Cup,” the Argentine stressed.
“Losing is always tough, but we must accept it. I don’t want people to feel disheartened. While we’re all disappointed by the result, I won’t permit us to succumb to negativity because I believe in the quality of our players.
“We will find a way to deliver improved performances, and I am confident we will achieve better outcomes than what we saw on Thursday and today.”
Pochettino did concede, however, that if there’s no noticeable improvement over the coming year as they gear up for the World Cup, it would trigger serious alarm bells.
“If we find ourselves in this position a year from now, I will certainly say, ‘Houston, we have a problem. S.O.S.’ Pochettino admitted.
“You will know in a year if we’re addressing this issue; if we are, it will suggest that we haven’t managed to devise a better strategy to enhance the team’s ability to perform differently.
“I believe we still have time. I’d rather face the challenges of today than be in the same situation a year from now.”
United States skipper Christian Pulisic echoed the need for change following Sunday’s setback.
“We’re obviously disappointed. We have to come back stronger; we’re not performing at our best right now,” Pulisic acknowledged.
“All we can do now is to return to our clubs and set the best example we can… and when we come back, it’s clear that some things need to change and we need to improve.
“We’ll reflect on what those changes are, though I don’t have all the answers at this moment.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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