U.S. national team coach Mauricio Pochettino adamantly defended his decision to notify players via video email whether they have secured a spot in the FIFA World Cup’s final 26-man squad at a press conference on Tuesday.
At an event in New York where the team was officially announced, Pochettino was quick to back their chosen method of communication, despite criticism from some quarters that it lacked subtlety, even though it had already been leaked days earlier.
Despite this, Pochettino and his staff have prioritized “very clear” communication, insisting that their approach to communicating team news will not change depending on the size of a particular camp or tournament.
The former Argentina international was also keen to stress that the last thing he wanted to do during his playing days was speak to the manager who had just let him go.
“What are you going to say? Are you going to lie?” he asked. “‘You’re not on the roster because I believe you’re a better option today and for that period of time with another teammate.’ I’m not saying they’re better players, and I’m not saying you can’t be on the roster in the future.”
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He also questioned whether a call should be made to all the players removed from the interim 55-man squad, or perhaps even those who missed training camp in March or January.
“I don’t think that’s the way to go. And if you think about how I grew up in my country, football is trying to do everything to get on the roster,” Pochettino added. “If you don’t make the roster, you have to think the same way you are now. Until the day before, anything can happen. They have to be ready because we might make the call. That’s sports. That’s football. That’s soccer. You can’t change the rules.”
Pochettino similarly insisted he genuinely cared about his players, but saw no reason to “upset” them.
“I understand the players who didn’t make the roster. They don’t want to hear me say, ‘Oh, apologize, oh, whatever.’ I care. You know why I care? Because I couldn’t sleep the (last) two weeks.
“And even today, I can’t enjoy the 26 guys in front of me because I’m thinking about the players who are out. If I’m going to make a call, it’s about myself. I say, ‘Oh, I’m going to call, I’m very human when it comes to calling and then explaining.’ Now, that’s…”
Landon Donovan shares his thoughts on Mauricio Pochettino’s decision (Image: Orlando Ramirez, Getty Images)
US legend Landon Donovan then weighed in on the debate over Pochettino’s reasoning, admitting he understood his point but still wished he had spoken to him over the phone.
Donovan told the Guardian: “I understand where he’s coming from. I was thinking about that in some ways this morning, but it might actually be a good thing that we don’t hear from him directly.”
“It’s the way it is now. Nothing would change. Yeah, if I had been part of the team for a long time, I would have wanted a phone. If I hadn’t been part of the team for long, I wouldn’t have cared. But every player is different.”
Nevertheless, as Pochettino pointed out, the final squad will not be finalized until June 1st and there is always the possibility of injury, so players who miss out on spots should remain on standby for the time being.
Meanwhile, the United States is scheduled to play Senegal on May 31st, followed by Germany on June 6th, the last warm-up game before the World Cup.
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