Even thought there were a few players absent, the United States Mens National Team had the firm idea to continue their late dominance over Team Mexico when they stepped on to the pitch in Guadalajara at Akron Stadium.
Things did not go as planned, as the USMNT lost 2-0 and criticism over new head coach Mauricio Pochettino started fast. USA had an undefeated record of five wins and a couple of draws in their seven matches in the current decade.
That all changed on Tuesday night, as many that believe that hiring Pochettino was not the right choice started to express their feelings towards the situation. Some fans even posted “This is the most Pochettino thing” making reference to the 2-0 score that USA ends up sealing in the majority of their victories over Mexico.
Pochettino opens up about the opportunity
Mauricio Pochettino did not have Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi and Weston McKennie as they returned to their clubs in Europe, as did Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen. Therefore, he had the chance to see other young players.
“I think we have all learned from watching them compete and that also makes me learn a lot from the players. They have been in very few occasions like this before,” Pochettino said after the game
“It is a match where it has given us the opportunity to evaluate the players who have been on the field and feel what it’s like to play under enormous pressure on a field like this against a rival like Mexico,” he added in what surely is another chapter in this long rivalry that he now is a part of.