How Pochettino has transformed a nationpublished at 14:15 BST
14:15 BST
Turkey v USA (Fri, 03:00 BST)
Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist in Los Angeles
Image source, Getty Images
In the minutes after the USA’s 2-0 win against Australia in their second Group D match in Seattle last week, Mauricio Pochettino had to pause during a pitchside interview as the American fans loudly serenaded him.
Before the tournament, there seemed an uncertainty of feeling towards the Argentine coach, particularly as his commitment to the national team only went to the end of this World Cup.
But with the USA’s win over Australia following a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, he now seems to have near-universal backing, having built a team mixing exciting young talent with established performers in Europe’s top leagues – one who look capable of upsetting the odds in the coming weeks.
Pochettino has brought belief and aggression, having worked hard to shed the mentality that the USA are World Cup underdogs.
On the walls inside the 54-year-old’s makeshift office at the team’s hotel are the words “why not us?” along with other quotes such as “believe, work, compete” and “now is our time!”
That mindset is clear in the players and in their two games so far they have played with swagger.
“I think he brings that South American spirit that we’ve been missing,” USA forward Tim Weah said.
“We’ve always been the good guys, so now it’s kind of nice being on the other end and being the aggressor a bit. It’s fun. Coach Poch is an amazing coach.”