A defensive Mauricio Pochettino lambasted the idea of the United States men's national team having "regular players" after his alternate XI gained a stunning 5-1 victory over Uruguay on Tuesday night, marking the first time the U.S. has scored five goals against a World Cup winner or any South American side.
"I don't want to be negative, no, but I hate, I hate that, 'not regular players.' What [does it] mean?" Pochettino said postgame at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, when asked about the impact of a win that didn't feature several big names. "It's USA playing, it's the national team. Stop with that mindset. Every time that our decision is about to pick a starting XI, it's the U.S. men's national team playing.
"I hate to talk in this way. It's so disrespectful. It's so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys. ... What I really, really appreciate from the team, for the roster and for all the staff, is in the way that we start to connect together, and that is the most important thing."
Heading into the November window, Pochettino didn't call upon marquee stars such as AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, Crystal Palace's Chris Richards, Marseille's Tim Weah, and Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, who have been nursing injuries. High-profile midfielder Weston McKennie was also left out amid changes within Juventus.
Pochettino highlighted last week that no roster spot for the 2026 World Cup was "safe." Following Tuesday's win, the coach noted his satisfaction with the progress of the November camp.
"I am really, really happy, because the reality is much better [than] what you think. Much, much better. Before, it was much, much different. It was completely different," said Pochettino, now unbeaten in five matches. "Of course, there is still a lot of work to do, but I think it's about to keep believing, it's to keep pushing."
The latest result featured first international goals from Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter and Tanner Tessmann. As for Freeman, the son of former NFL player Antonio Freeman, the 21-year-old stepped up as the player of the match with an eventual brace for the USMNT.
"This is our job, it's our duty, to see the projection of the player. For that, we need to give the chance and see how they perform, how they act, the character, the mentality," Pochettino said about Freeman's growth at the international level.
"So happy, so happy, because today he scored twice. I think you need to analyze the way that he plays. He can play like a third center back, he can go forward, on the side, going inside. ... When he has the ball, the team is like relief."
Closing out 2025 on a high note, Pochettino and his roster will return in 2026 with two friendlies in March. Following the spring window, they'll then begin final preparations for the World Cup in late May/early June for the tournament that they'll co-host with Mexico and Canada next summer.