Since taking charge of the US Men’s National Team last September, Mauricio Pochettino has led them to 13 wins and just seven losses. More recently, they wrapped up 2025 with a 5‑1 friendly win over Uruguay…even without key players like Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie. But as soon as the final whistle blew, it wasn’t the result that grabbed attention. It was the post-match press comments by Pochettino that made the headlines.

Undoubtedly, it was a team effort  Sebastian Berhalter, Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Alex Freeman all contributed to the walloping the USMNT handed Uruguay. It was historic too: the first time the USMNT scored five goals against a former World Cup-winning nation. Yet despite this historic performance, Pochettino was clearly annoyed when a reporter mentioned the win came “without regular players.”

Mauricio Pochettino didn’t hold back. “I don’t want to start negative (but) ‘no regular players’. What does that mean? … It’s so disrespectful,” he said. His frustration made it clear that he felt every player on the field deserved full credit for the win.  He went on to defend his roster, calling the group that played against Uruguay “The United States national team.”

Mauricio Pochettino explained, “Every time that our decision about to pick a starting 11, it’s the U.S. national team playing. After one year, I think you really need to know me that I hate to talk in this way. It’s so disrespectful. It’s disrespectful because we need to give credit to all the guys that today were involved and Paraguay too. It’s about to win games and to perform.”

As soon as the post went online, fans immediately praised his decision, applauding Pochettino for putting the team above individual players.

Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership wins hearts

One fan praised Mauricio Pochettino’s decision and commented, “I love the vibe he’s bringing from being near death earlier this year. Gotta keep the positive momentum!” And it makes sense. Earlier in 2025, the USMNT hit a rough patch. Struggles in competitive matches and friendlies raised doubts about form and consistency.

This year, the U.S. lost to Panama in the semifinals and later to Canada in the third-place match in the Concacaf Nations League. Friendlies were no better as they lost to Switzerland (0-4) and Turkey (1-2), which revealed weaknesses both in defense and attack. At that time, fans and media referred to the team as being in a so-called near-crisis stage.

But now, the team has turned things around. Another fan added, “He’s completely right, imagine beating uruguay 5-1 and the question he gets asked is about guys missing, pathetic.” It seems like support for Pochettino is unanimous. But the big question now is: who will make the World Cup roster?

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear that no player’s spot is guaranteed. “No one can feel safe or no one can feel that they’re going to be (on the roster), even the names that you say: (Christian) Pulisic or Tyler Adams. I think the federation is bigger than the names that (are in) the national team,” he emphasized.

With Pulisic and Adams out due to injury, Pochettino sees it as an opportunity to assess other options ahead of the World Cup. “These are the players that today, they deserve to be here and are the players that we want to see, are the players that are our choice, our selection,” he said. The squad is expected to have 26 players, though some rumors say it could go up to 30.

Another fan chimed in, “Alright, dammit… I’m in!” while another added, “Pochettino has this squad believing they have the talent. His pointed emphasis of team over select player discussions is an accurate critique of a common discourse in.”

While it can be tempting to default to star players, Pochettino has made it abundantly clear that team chemistry and synergy trumps star power when it comes to selections. It’s a bold choice and one that has paid off for the Argentine.

Another fan wrote, “That’s my manager.” Another added, “This is Mauricio Pochettino’s best attribute: he’s a motivator He’s so good at getting young players all running in the same direction, as a team, and feeling that he’s behind them It’s so obvious that almost everyone who plays for him would run through a wall for him and this is why.”

Fans loved how Mauricio Pochettino puts the team first, inspires every player, and creates a sense of unity. His decision to leave out big-name stars like Pulisic, Weah, and McKennie for the November window only reinforced this. Many praised his trust in the wider squad; now it’s time for the stars to prove their way back in when the team are expected to return in March 2026 for two friendlies before the final World Cup preparations.