Pochettino urges belief as USA prepare for Australia clash

Mauricio Pochettino's pre-match press conference on the eve of the USA-Australia match resembled a session with a psychologist. His mantra is simple: “Believe.” It’s a philosophy of life and sports that has led him to take charge of the USA at a World Cup on home soil – a philosophy he’s trying to instill in his players and throughout the American sports community.

Pochettino on mindset and belief

“All my conversations with the team over the past few weeks have been about what it means for us to be here, especially in terms of changing the team’s mindset,” he said. “We have to let people and fans believe in us, that's the most important thing.” Pochettino doesn’t put any limits on himself, and he knows full well that this World Cup means a great deal to the American people as a whole, especially when it comes to how football is perceived in the country.

“Many people are helping football to grow here in the USA,” he added. “I believe our players are playing a key role in this, as are players who have joined the MLS, such as Leo Messi.”

Message for Messi

Speaking of Messi, Pochettino also wanted to send a heartfelt message to the family of the Argentina captain following news that his father Jorge is unwell. He said: “Messi is the best without any shadow of a doubt. Argentina have a great squad, a fantastic manager and incredible fans. But my thoughts are with Leo’s family, because I know they’re going through a difficult time.”

Players on the tournament's importance

Weston McKennie spoke of just how crucial this tournament is for the Americans: “There were lots of people at the stadium during the first match – some were there because they love football, but for others it was their first time at a match. I hope that what we showed on the pitch with our performance really moved people.

“And I hope the same will happen tomorrow. We know that we are responsible for the growth of this sport here in America. The fans who come to the stadium to watch the team, hearing the national anthem, knowing you have people on your side supporting you – all of it inspires us. Even when you’re tired, you can hear them cheering you on for a tackle or to make something happen – the adrenaline kicks in.”

Sergino Dest added: “This World Cup could certainly change the way football is perceived here, and a lot depends on how far we get. I believe that if we carry on playing as we did against Paraguay, we’ll achieve our goal of doing that.”

Seattle's passion for football

Pochettino is a firm believer in the positive energy of people and environments and Seattle will be looking to make its mark as one of America’s most passionate football cities. “It will be the most important match this city has ever hosted,” said Cristian Roldan, midfielder and captain of the Seattle Sounders. The 31-year-old will effectively be playing at home on two levels, having played at the stadium for the Sounders since 2015.

“I spoke to the team about how much Seattle loves football,” he added. “Tomorrow they will feel the excitement of the fans and the energy they send to us. I’m delighted for this city, because they have such a deep passion for sport and football.”

Respect for Australia

Both the manager and the players, however, warned that tomorrow’s match against Australia was going to be a real battle. “It will be a very difficult match tomorrow,” Pochettino said. “Australia are a strong team and have a great coach. They have come on so much in recent years, and we mustn’t underestimate but respect them. At the same time, we want to beat them and we’re ready to give it our all. We’ll need to approach it as we did in the match against Paraguay.”