Mauricio Pochettino declared on Thursday that, after months of assessing his player pool and testing different formations and approaches, it\u2019s time to trust that his staff have set up the team for the best tournament possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was talking with a good friend that won the World Cup<\/a> in 1986 with Argentina,\u201d said Pochettino, who confirmed that all 26 US players are available for selection. \u201cHe said to me, \u2018in relaxation, you become concentrated and focused.\u2019 I think we try to be very professional in every single aspect of our preparation by creating a very good atmosphere where the player can feel comfortable and to embrace and, not to learn, but to understand what we expect\u201d<\/p>\n There have been tough lessons along the way, from the shock fourth-place finish at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League to March\u2019s friendly defeats to Belgium and Portugal by a 7-2 aggregate. Even after the Belgian goal glut, Pochettino preached the importance of him presenting a confident demeanor so that his players would use it to guide their own thinking.<\/p>\n Seemingly, that mentality has stuck. Throughout the past two weeks, the team has spoken with, if not swagger, then quiet confidence that they\u2019re ready to represent their nation in front of the home faithful.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s special,\u201d Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams said on Thursday, \u201cand I think these are kind of the moments [where] you really need to stay present within it all, because no matter the circumstances, and no matter what happens, you\u2019re going through it with your best friends. I think that connection, and that chemistry, and that bond is what has allowed us to grow over the past four years, especially since Qatar.\u201d<\/p>\n As the 2022 World Cup played out, Alex Freeman was a 17-year-old who hadn\u2019t yet debuted for Orlando City. Matt Freese was ready to change clubs after years backing up Jamaica\u2019s Andre Blake for the Philadelphia Union. Sebastian Berhalter had only just finished his first season with the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he had yet to lock down a spot as a starter.<\/p>\n They, along with ten others, are now poised to make their World Cup debuts close to home.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Qatar, obviously the roster has changed,\u201d Adams said. You get more fresh faces in, [and it] adds a little bit of a different energy and vibe. But the connection hasn\u2019t wavered, and I think that\u2019s the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n That cohesion had a viral moment on Wednesday night, as US Soccer posted video reaction of the players watching the New York Knicks\u2019 record comeback over the San Antonio Spurs. Adams is one of a few lifelong Knicks fans among the bunch, while others (like Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi) hail from Texas. Others are just anti-Knicks; Adams named Haji Wright, a diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan, and Brenden Aaronson among this group.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a Sixers fan, he can\u2019t say anything,\u201d Adams quipped.<\/p>\n Just as Philadelphia tried to \u201ctrust the process\u201d all the way to a title, the US are making similar bets on the steps they\u2019ve taken to earn a place on this squad.<\/p>\n As a result, and perhaps supported by the sage wisdom of his World Cup champion pal, Pochettino doesn\u2019t feel that he needs a Hollywood-caliber pep talk to send his group out in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \u201cI think now they don\u2019t need an external motivation or inspirational speech,\u201d Pochettino said. \u201cIf you know the mindset of the player, they need before [the game is close] to get [to] their best. They need motivation and speech and inspiration when they go to train and improve in every single area. Tomorrow is late.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Mexico\u2019s 2-0 win in Group A, the US will want to play with similar quality and confidence from the opening whistle. On Wednesday, Chris Richards set aims to be \u201cthe top dog\u201d in Group D<\/a>. On Thursday, Adams cracked a wry smile as he said he was \u201cdefinitely not thinking about third place, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n