Englow, California. – US Male coach Mauricio Pochettino’s 1-0 defeat in Panama in the semi-finals of the Concacaf Nations League on Thursday said he was not a true representation of the group’s identity and capabilities, including Christian Polisic star.
The CNL winner lost the game three times after Pochettino described it as the first half as a “pacture” to watch and didn’t take the best from the whole group, which controls the ball and 12 penalties, but only scored 0.68 expected against a Panama. Polisic wasn’t in particular, he took only one penalty shootout during the game, and although Pochettino was important at his level, his mental state was not on the team’s most influential player.
“It’s not an excuse, but a player like him has been under pressure in the past few months,” he said. “Of course, it’s not the Christian we want to see because I think it can do much better. … Sometimes this kind of competition has reached us at a good time, sometimes not at a good time for different players and that can affect the team level.
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Pochettino also said that showing against Panama is not a real indication of what it wants to be, in terms of style, under his leadership.
“I think we expect more from everyone, from all the players. I think our expectations are so high,” he said. “One of the things I want to see yesterday, we were talking about yesterday (nearly), that game doesn’t talk about how we are like a team, as individual players, as coaches, as the national team.
The manager also attributed some of Thursday’s chemistry shortages among players he chose after leaving with a new facial group, some of whom were forced to have injuries. Younis Moses and Timothy Weae have sometimes played like Wingbacks, the roles that are somewhat new to them with the national team, while Taner Tesman won one of his first top flight alongside Tyler Adams. In addition, Josh Sargent was the main player in the absence of Folarin Balogoon and Ricardo Pepe, who were generally ahead of him in recent years.
“I didn’t see that chemistry,” Pochettino said. “It’s what worries me, what’s my fault and now we need to choose different players and see if that happens or not.
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Pochettino joked that some changes to the squad will be on Sunday against Canada, and decided to do some cycles before Thursday’s semi-finals. Canada also offers a different tactical challenge in Panama, which has chosen most of the game and only took their first penalty in its goals in the 94th minute, when Cislio Waterman scored.
The Argentine admitted that he was incomplete on Thursday, but the team really achieved some things well.
“We were definitely worthwhile against Panama,” the Spaniard said. “You analyze after 94, 95 minutes and only one was on the goal, Panama scores and beat us, but it’s football. It’s football, and we need to be important because I think at this moment.
Pochettino has been stable in the early months of his career in establishing the team’s lead, a wise scope of focus, taking into account how density – especially in the first half – to cost Panama. Although they can come out with the right answer against Canada, it is something left to be seen.
“That’s a question sign,” Pochettino says. “What we want to see is the same focus, concentration and mental level in every first official, or (no) official competition, and for me tomorrow will be an important game to see how we have a reaction.
how to watch and possibilities
- date: Sunday, March 23 | time6 pm and
- place: Sophie Stadium — England, California
- Live Stream: Paramonet+
- odds: Canada +225; Drawing +230; USMNT +1