TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Mauricio Pochettino will face Marcelo Bielsa, the coach who scouted him when he was 13, on Tuesday night when the United States plays Uruguay in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Pochettino, 53, took charge of the U.S. team last year, while Bielsa, 70, was appointed Uruguay national team coach in 2023.
“My admiration and respect is huge,” Pochettino said on Monday. “He was the key and the key in my career as a player. For the love of that game and for the inspiration, he kept pushing me and gave me the inspiration to try to become a coach. Yes, for me tomorrow is something to look forward to and to be able to be very close with him, but at the same time we will suffer because all the teams under Marcelo’s management are very tough to play.”
Pochettino played under Bielsa at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina from 1990 to 1992. Bielsa went on to manage Argentina and Chile, as well as several other clubs. After finishing his playing career in 2006, Pochettino coached clubs including Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
He called Bielsa his hero.
“I always wait for him to say hello before I say hello,” Pochettino said.
The United States, ranked 16th, is moving up the rankings. Victory over Paraguay 2-1 Also on Saturday, 15th place Uruguay drew 0-0 with Mexico.
Pochettino plans to rotate some of his lineup given the short return and the switch from cool weather in Chester, Pennsylvania to warmer temperatures in Florida last weekend.
“We need to think about the clubs that own the players and make sure we don’t take any risks because I think they are in a very tough period in the competition,” he said.
The United States is undefeated in four consecutive games, including friendly matches. World Cup participating teams. Pochettino took charge of the U.S. national team in October 2024 after losing in the first round of the Copa America, and explained that the team’s poor performance in the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four in March was a turning point.
“We’re not changing captains in the middle of this storm. No, you give us confidence and momentum,” he said. “But if something is wrong, it has to change. But when you change, you need time to build the way you operate and the way you do things.”
After Tuesday, the United States has two friendlies scheduled in March until Pochettino announces his World Cup squad.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that former Deloitte Consulting CEO Dan Helfrich will become chief operating officer, effective January 1. Helfrich, a former Georgetown soccer player, has been the play-by-play broadcaster for the Hoyas men’s soccer team since 2005.
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