Mauricio Pochettino was pleased with the effort of the US Men’s National Team in their 1-0 friendly win over Canada on Tuesday, but he already wants his squad to look forward to what’s to come.
Pochettino watched on as Justin Ellis’ second career international goal led the USMNT to a fourth straight win in the September-October window. His side also recorded their second straight clean sheet in a 3-0 win over CONCACAF rivals Mexico in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday.
Canada pushed the Americans to the brink, but Brian Schwake made three saves with the help of his USMNT teammates. Both Schwake and Ellis were two of 13 players who made their senior debuts in the window that helped prepare the next group of players for the 2030 cycle.
Pochettino is now hoping that all of his players can transfer their international appearances to the club schedules as it could play a key role leading up to the November camp.
“I’m an international player now. My teammate has to compete for me,” Pochettino said at the post-match press conference. “No, you’ve got to run for you and your teammate. Yeah, that’s the mentality we’re trying to implement and I think they’re very smart and smart. They’ve got talent. They’re going to use that experience to become a better, more experienced player.
“It will come with the talented player, the young talented player and the older player that we have, I think we have a very good mix and hopefully we can lead this group of players to reach our best level and compete at our best,” he said.
Fatigue certainly set in for the USMNT heading into Tuesday’s match, especially as the team played four matches over a two-week break rather than the traditional two in previous years. However, the USMNT didn’t let up on their work rate or determination at Allianz Field, holding off Canada and continuing their winning streak this fall.
Bigger tests lie ahead for the USMNT, starting with the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final series against Haiti in November, but Pochettino believes their performances over the past two weeks are a great starting point for the rest of the year.
“They deserve credit,” Pochettino said of his players after a long camp. “It’s not just about the result, it’s about the way we compete and how we go through this journey together.
“I think it’s been amazing and it’s a starting point to continue with the core and principle that we’ve been talking about, to grow and develop in that way,” he said. “I’m very happy, we’re very grateful to the players and the whole staff. We played four games in two weeks and we always played with the same intensity, the same commitment, the same passion. That’s something we’ve kept.”
Haiti awaits the USMNT in November with both matches being played on American soil due to recent US travel bans to the Caribbean nation.
Haiti, ranked 88th in the world, have won three of their four Nations League group stage matches this window and will take a point to prove they are unbeaten since 1973 against a USMNT side.
Pochettino is not too worried about his team dropping their intensity levels in November, especially given how they have played over the last two weeks.
“I think if we build this idea every time we are involved in the national team, if we compete in this way, I think it will be easy to carry the level of intensity until November,” Pochettino said.