Pochettino: To make history, we need to win the World Cup, not just the group

US Men's National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated he isn't concerned by the dramatic loss to Turkey, as his squad had already achieved their primary objective of securing first place in Group D of the World Cup. The Americans topped the group with 6 points, having defeated Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 in their first two home matches of the 2026 World Cup. Pochettino's team will now face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16 on July 2nd at 3:00 AM Bulgarian time.

"At this moment, no one is congratulating us for finishing first in the group. But I want to express my gratitude to the players, my staff, and the fans, because we finished at the top of a very tough group. We handled all the pressure from the high expectations placed upon us. This was our first major goal. That's why I remain positive and happy," Pochettino commented.

The Argentine specialist made nine changes to the starting lineup for the match against Turkey, as the Americans had already secured their desired top spot. Four players carrying yellow cards – Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and Tyler Adams – remained on the bench and did not participate. Seven players made their World Cup debuts, with Sebastian Berhalter notably contributing a goal and an assist, and Auston Trusty also finding the net. The other five debutants were Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie, and Giovanni Reyna.

"When one team has already qualified and the other is already eliminated, anything can happen. These circumstances certainly need to be taken into account. We wanted to win, but we also had other priorities. We had to find a balance, and that's why I made those decisions (regarding the squad). To make history, we need to win the World Cup, not just the group. We shouldn't think small; that's not a strategy. We need to look at the bigger picture," Pochettino added.