United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasized the importance of selecting players with a strong mentality heading into the Gold Cup this summer, stressing that talent alone may not be enough for a player to earn a spot in the squad.
The USMNT will face Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti during the group stage of the tournament in hopes of advancing to the knockout round.
“The right mindset must be there, because we need to compete for our flag, our country,” Pochettino said in an interview with the U.S. Soccer Federation released Tuesday.
“What we are trying to do as a staff is to optimize every single area of preparation, and the mentality of the players is really important.
“We need to be intelligent in the way that we are going to select the players and not just choose based on talent alone. We need to have the right characters to be really competitive.”
The United States is coming off of a disappointing Nations League Finals last month, falling 1-0 to Panama in the semifinals before losing 2-1 to Canada in the match for third place. The Stars and Stripes failed to win the trophy for the first time after claiming victory in its first three editions.
Pochettino questioned the team’s lack of effort and competitive mentality throughout the two-game international window, demanding the players to focus on intensity moving forward.
And he has continued to reinforce that message ahead of the Gold Cup.
“For sure to start we must compete hard,” Pochettino said. “We must match the intensity of our opponents, because in these tournaments they are always motivated to play against the USA. Of course we must perform well to win and you don’t always get a result, but for sure in order to win you have to compete.
“It’s not just about showing up in your home country and trying to play nice soccer. No, you must be proud, you must fight for the people that would love to be in your position, for the millions of kids that are going to see us and dream to be one day where we are.
“This is the type of responsibility and commitment we need to show in a different way than we did in Los Angeles.”
Pochettino previously spoke about the importance of mentality with ESPN, labeling the characteristic as the defining factor on the field.
“They [Argentina] go to war and to defend your badge, your flag, and that is what we need to create,” he said.
Before the Gold Cup kicks off, the USMNT will return to the field when hosting Turkey and Switzerland in two international friendlies on June 7 and 10.
