Poch puzzled by 'weird' questions: We 'won group'
Key takeaways
- Pochettino, speaking in both Spanish and English, said it was "a little bit sad" that no reporters congratulated him and the U.S.
- "The mood is like we [are going] home tonight and Türkiye is staying," the U.S. coach said.
- Pochettino had said before the match that he would push his players to chase a victory, even while using mostly reserves in a starting XI that included nine changes from the team that beat Australia on June 19.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Pochettino, speaking in both Spanish and English, said it was "a little bit sad" that no reporters congratulated him and the U.S. players on clinching the group after winning their first two games, adding that he did not understand why there were questions about the possibility of lost momentum following the last-second defeat to a team which had already been eliminated.
"The mood is like we [are going] home tonight and Türkiye is staying," the U.S. coach said. "I need to [remind] you and everyone that we won the group. Sorry guys, we won."
Pochettino had said before the match that he would push his players to chase a victory, even while using mostly reserves in a starting XI that included nine changes from the team that beat Australia on June 19. But when asked afterward if he felt it was a missed opportunity to have made history by becoming the first team in program history to win all three group games at a World Cup, he dismissed the idea as insignificant.