Los Angeles, June 12 (IANS) After extensive preparations for the global showpiece and months of ever-increasing hype and hoopla, US head coach Pochettino said he has no intention to give a big motivational speech in the build-up to the clash with Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday.
US are competing in its 12th FIFA World Cup and will act as co-host of the expanded 48-team tournament alongside Canada and Mexico. Having previously hosted the global showpiece in 1994 and reached the semifinal in the inaugural 1930 edition, the U.S. was eliminated in the round of 16 by the Netherlands at the last World Cup in Qatar.
“I have already spoken to them. I have already talked… too much. I said to the players don’t expect an unbelievable speech on Friday,” Pochettino said at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by FIFA. “No, I am the opposite. I think now is the moment that they need prepare in an emotional and mental way. And I think everyone knows how to be ready.
“I think now they don’t need an external motivation or an inspirational speech. If you know the player and the mindset of the player, they need a motivational speech and inspiration when they need to go to train and improve in every single area… because tomorrow is too late. You can give the best motivational speech but if they are not ready then it’s impossible to perform.”
Pochettino has a fully-fit squad to choose from, with defender Chris Richards declaring himself fit after recovering from an ankle injury. The USA coaching staff will make a late decision about whether the Crystal Palace star will start or remain on the bench. Meanwhile, Pochettino did not disclose who out of Matt Freese or Matt Turner will start in goal.
“The most important thing is to believe in yourself, to have that thought of believing that you can do it well, but you have to go step by step,” he concluded. “The most important thing is not to see the flag before you get there…. that’s why it’s important to be prepared. Not only how you start, but how you continue and how you finish.”
After defeating Paraguay 2-1 in a friendly match in November, USA are quietly confident of victory despite a series of mixed results since then. As in that fiery fixture in Philadelphia, Pochettino is expecting another keenly-contested clash.
The squad is headlined by AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie. Gio Reyna, the playmaker who recently moved to Borussia Monchengladbach, also features.
“I know very well the mentality [of Paraguay] — the aggressivity, the competitiveness… My expectation is tomorrow is going to be a very tough game,” he said. “It’s going to be tough because Paraguay not only are competitive and aggressive but they have good quality [and] a great coach in Gustavo Alfaro, who is doing a great job and I respect and admire him a lot. It’s going to be very, very difficult,” he said.