Mauricio Pochettino had just watched his team lose 3-2 to Turkey at SoFi Stadium. He was also, by every technical measure, having a very good World Cup. The USMNT topped Group D despite the defeat. Pochettino wanted to talk about that. The press corps, apparently, did not.
So the Argentine coach did what coaches rarely do at FIFA-mandated press conferences: he left early. “I need to remind everyone we won the group, sorry guys, we won,” Pochettino said before walking out, describing certain media questions as “weird” and “petty.”
A calculated loss at SoFi Stadium
The June 25 match in Inglewood, California, was never supposed to be a must-win. The USMNT had already secured its path through Group D, and Pochettino treated the Turkey fixture accordingly. He rolled out nine new starters, a wholesale rotation that signaled confidence in the squad’s depth and a desire to keep key legs fresh for the knockout rounds.
Christian Pulisic started the match but was substituted during the game. His removal shifted the team’s attacking dynamic noticeably.
