1 year ago
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Cesar HernandezJul 5, 2025, 05:20 PM ET
HOUSTON -- United States caput manager Mauricio Pochettino said his squad needs the "pressure" and "stress" of Sunday's Gold Cup last against Mexico successful bid to hole for adjacent summer's World Cup.
As a co-host of the competition, alongside Mexico and Canada, the U.S. does not request to suffice for the 2026 World Cup, meaning aft Sunday it volition not person immoderate competitory games earlier kicking disconnected adjacent summer.
"I deliberation it's going to beryllium possibly the past crippled that we are going to play nether unit and to play nether unit is what we need, the squad needs, due to the fact that we already qualified for the World Cup," Pochettino told reporters connected Saturday.
"I deliberation it's important that we person that hard script to consciousness the pressure, to consciousness the stress."
In what is expected to beryllium a bulk Mexico assemblage astatine NRG Stadium, Pochettino embraced the situation of trying to triumph the USMNT's eighth Gold Cup title. Sunday's gathering volition besides beryllium the eighth astatine a Gold Cup last betwixt the rival nations, with Mexico seeking a record-extending 10th title.
Pochettino noted that reaching this constituent was the extremity for the summertime with an alternate squad missing a fig of cardinal players, including Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson, though they're inactive aiming for more.
"To get successful the last of the Gold Cup was the objective. That was our archetypal measurement and present our 2nd step, 3rd step, is to win," said the Argentine coach.
During the team's past grooming league connected Saturday earlier the game, Pochettino gathered his players and unit arsenic helium gave a connection to the huddled radical successful Houston.
"He said thing astir his dreams past nighttime and astir his imagination for tomorrow," midfielder Malik Tillman told media of what Pochettino shared.
"I mean, we are a adjacent group. We've been present unneurotic for, helium said, I deliberation 40 days. So evidently the crippled means a batch to america tomorrow.
"Obviously [the dream] it was astir winning and lifting the trophy. So if we judge successful that, I deliberation we person a bully accidental to bash this tomorrow."
Mexico's 's Javier Aguirre is successful his 3rd spell successful complaint and antecedently lifted the Gold Cup successful 2009. Pochettino, meanwhile, is seeking his archetypal portion of silverware with the USMNT.
ESPN's Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.
