CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Manager Mauricio Pochettino gathered his players around him and gave them tactical instructions during a 24-minute hydration break during Sunday’s friendly against Senegal.
Not with his voice or a clipboard, but with a laptop.
Television cameras showed the U.S. coach talking and pointing at the screen with his finger, apparently indicating the desired movement on the field. The players huddled together watched intently.
“The players need to think, but they also need to look,” Pochettino said after the game. 3-2 victory for the Americans.
Pochettino said the United States had not been informed by FIFA whether laptop use would be allowed during breaks during the World Cup. FIFA did not respond to requests for comment.
Midfielder Weston McKennie said it’s always helpful to be able to watch and learn from the action on the field.
Christian Pulisic said it was similar to his team’s effort after the first half.
“It’s a little bit special for us,” Pulisic said. “But that’s also what we do at halftime. We just check on some things.”
Pulisic said overall he was in favor of more rest periods in football, with stoppage time of 45 consecutive minutes and non-stop action in each half before the introduction of hydration breaks.
“I think that’s a good thing,” Pulisic said. “Timeouts are good in soccer. I think it’s good to rebuild a little bit.”
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
