06/30/26 06:34:00
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06/30 18:19 CDT US coach Mauricio Pochettino apologizes to media for his curt
tone in previous news conference
US coach Mauricio Pochettino apologizes to media for his curt tone in previous
news conference
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) --- Before moving his attention to the knockout round
of the World Cup, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino had to resolve one issue from
the group stage.
Pochettino began his news conference before Wednesday's game against
Bosnia-Herzegovina by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone
following the U.S. team's 3-2 loss to Turkey in a match that had no impact on
the Americans after they had already clinched the top spot in the group.
"I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,"
Pochettino said. "I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am
sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat."
Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for
not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss
to Turkey.
"For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit
sad," Pochettino told reporters after the game.
"What we need to remember is we won first place in this group," Pochettino
added while speaking in Spanish and English. "We ended up being No. 1, and we
managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well."
Pochettino knows the expectations are even higher now that his team has reached
the knockout round and goes into the game against Bosnia as the favorite to
advance.
He has preached to his team that "relaxation brings concentration" and has told
them to approach every game as if it was the final.
"If we don't see it in this way, I think we are going to struggle," he said.
"We are seeing already in all the games after the group stage how difficult it
is. ... We don't have another opportunity if we fail. It's all in and knowing
that game is the final of the World Cup. And if we were capable to go through,
the next one is going to be another final of the World Cup."
Bosnia has already played host Canada to a draw in Toronto in the opening match
and now faces a U.S. team on American soil as the underdogs. Former U.S.
national team goalkeeper Tim Howard said Bosnia is "better off not even getting
on a plane and going to San Francisco" for a match he believes they have no
chance of winning.
But the Bosnians already defied the odds by beating four-time champion Italy in
the European playoffs and now have a chance to spoil the World Cup for the U.S.
team.
"I'm not concerned with things like that," Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said
about Howard's comments. "I have to admit, things like that happen on a daily
basis. We are a small country and things like that sometimes happen. I have no
problem. My boys don't have a problem with that. ... We are playing to go into
the round of 16. Is that not motivation enough? I don't notice things like
that."
Injury updates for the US team ahead of match
Pochettino had some injury updates for his team ahead of the match, saying he
hoped Auston Trusty could be available after injuring his ankle late in the
last game against Turkey. Trusty scored his first goal for the national team in
that game.
Pochettino said it would be more difficult for Cristian Roldan (quadriceps
strain) and Mark McKenzie (foot irritation) to be available for the game but a
final decision won't be made until Wednesday.
Christian Pulisic said he is ready to start after missing the second group game
with a calf injury and playing only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group
match.
"I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow," Pulisic said.
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