The U.S. National Team steamrolled Uruguay 5–1 in Tampa. But instead of basking in the blowout, head coach Mauricio Pochettino stormed into his press conference visibly irritated. His frustration wasn’t about the dominance on the field; it was about what happened after the match when the media raised the issue of missing regulars. Pochettino bristled at the implication, reminding everyone that the U.S. Men’s National Team is a collective, not a lineup of handpicked stars.

At the press conference, Pochettino said he couldn’t understand the backlash over fielding his alternate squad, especially since this was the first time the Americans had ever scored five goals against a World Cup champion—or any South American opponent. “I don’t want to be negative, no, I hate the ‘no regular players’ [question]. What does this mean? “ Pochettino said in his postgame presser in Tampa, Florida, when he was questioned about the impact of a win that didn’t feature several big names.

He further added, “It’s USA playing, it’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. Every time our decision to pick a starting XI, it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing. If you know me, I hate to talk this way. It’s so disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys. I am the USA coach. Tell me which ‘regular players’ you are talking about? I don’t understand.”

Pochettino’s message was clear: it doesn’t matter whether his players are “non-regulars” – if they are part of the squad, they are valuable. After rotating nine players from the Paraguay victory, Pochettino’s revamped U.S. side stormed onto the pitch with purpose. Uruguay was ripped apart before halftime, undone by a merciless performance that never allowed them to find any rhythm.

As the November window began, the squad was already dealing with the absence of marquee players like AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic, Juventus’ Weston McKennie, Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards, Marseille’s Tim Weah, and Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams due to injuries, leaving the team operating at barely half strength.

The coach further highlighted that he is happy with how his team performed, “I am really, really happy, because the reality is much better [than] what you think. Much, much better. Before, it was much, much different. It was completely different.” Now that we’ve heard the coach’s take on the controversy, let’s focus on a key player who helped kickstart the rout.

Mauricio Pochettino praises his team for their amazing performance

The United States wrapped its latest outing with landmark moments coming from Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter, and Tanner Tessmann, who all netted their first senior international goals. While the press may have questioned Mauricio Pochettino’s decision, the result speaks for itself.

It was the 21-year-old Freeman, who is also the son of former NFL star Antonio Freeman, who stole the spotlight in the game by scoring a first-half brace to give his side a 3-0 advantage.

As Pochettino said of the decision to start Freeman afterward, “This is our job, it’s our duty, to see the projection of the player. For that, we need to give the chance and see how they perform, how they act, the character, the mentality.”

Reflecting on Freeman’s versatility, Mauricio Pochettino explained, “So happy, so happy, because today he scored twice. I think you need to analyze the way that he plays. He can play like a third center back, he can go forward, on the side, going inside. … When he has the ball, the team is like relief.”

With another round of World Cup prep officially under their belts, the USMNT will be regrouping in early 2026 for a pair of March friendlies. After that, the focus of the team will fully move toward late May and early June when Mauricio Pochettino and co. contests on home soil for soccer’s ultimate prize.