United States coach Mauricio Pochettino has cautioned against labelling his side as favourites for their upcoming World Cup round-of-32 clash against Bosnia, citing a string of recent upsets that have rocked the tournament.His remarks come after Germany unexpectedly exited the competition following a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay on Monday, while Morocco also sent the Netherlands packing after a tense shootout.Speaking to reporters at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Tuesday, Pochettino emphasised the unpredictable nature of the World Cup. "First of all I don't believe that we are the favourite team because ... the last few days (we have seen) how difficult it is for everyone," he stated.He added: "I think favourite is (something) to talk (about) after, no? Everyone said the favourite is Germany but Paraguay beat (them) and Morocco against Netherlands." Pochettino stressed the need for vigilance, noting: "In this World Cup, there are many things, factors that can influence the performance. We need to be careful when we say, OK, one is favourite (over) another."Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of the United States, speaks during the press conference of United States at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. (Getty)While Bosnia finished third in their group, the U.S. topped Group D by winning their first two matches against Paraguay and Australia to reach the knockout phase early. Talisman Christian Pulisic has declared himself fit to ⁠start against the Bosnians after playing off the bench in the 3-2 defeat by Turkey but Pochettino all but ruled out centre back Mark McKenzie, who has been nursing a foot problem.There was a better prognosis for left back Auston Trusty who came off on a stretcher near the final whistle against Turkey after rolling an ankle. "Auston is much better than we expected. We'll make one final assessment ‌but hopefully he'll be available on the bench," said Pochettino.The winners will play Senegal or Belgium, who meet earlier on Wednesday. Pochettino said the ‌U.S. needed to regard the Bosnia game ⁠as a final and respect their opponents' quality."They deserve that respect," he said. "You can see that they have quality, not only that they are aggressive and have good organization. They have players with quality and a coach that provides the platform to perform. "That is a good ​thing. That is why, for us, this is the final of the World Cup tomorrow."Malik Tillman and Tim Ream of the United States celebrate the team's 2-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia. (Getty)Pochettino began his news conference by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team's 3-2 loss to Turkey in a match that had no impact on the Americans after they had already clinched the top spot in the group.“I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” Pochettino said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters after the game.“What we need to remember is we won first place in this group,” Pochettino added while speaking in Spanish and English. “We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well."Additional reporting by AP.