WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino said his objective over the next six months is to continue to improve the squad and "show full respect" for its World Cup group stage opponents.
Those opponents came more into focus on Friday with the holding of the draw for next summer's World Cup. Joining the U.S. in Group D are Australia, Paraguay and the winner of a playoff involving Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia and Türkiye.
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Türkiye, currently ranked 25th in the latest round of FIFA's rankings, is the favorite to advance. And although the U.S. defeated Australia and Paraguay in recent friendlies, Pochettino noted there is still plenty of work to be done.
In a team in which he has tried to create a competitive environment where no one's job is safe, Pochettino stressed that nothing can be taken for granted.
"I think in the next six months we need to update everything," Pochettino said in the post-draw mixed zone. "We know them but they know us. The most important is the evolution, and keep improving, in all the areas, for us, like a team. To be sure that in our [play] I think we will be stronger than today.
"That for me is the objective, [be] better and show full respect to Paraguay and Australia and the fourth that we are going to find out about in March. Yeah, I'm looking forward. I am optimistic. Before, after I think looking forward, the World Cup, the most exciting moment for us that to arrive in our best condition."
When asked if he was happy with the draw, Pochettino insisted it wasn't a case of being happy or not happy.
"Always when you walk in the door, you wait and see what's going on, [see] what happened, be optimistic and really trust your qualities and our players, in our capacity to compete."
The case of who has the advantage in any kind of rematch tips in the USMNT's favor given how the team has experimented with different systems in the past several months.
"The flexibility we start to see because I think, always, you need time, take time to play a role, to adapt to different system and the way that you want to play," Pochettino said. "We tried from the beginning but doesn't happen [quickly] because that is normal, the process.
"But I think yes, I think we are so happy in the way that we are evolving like a team, growing in the areas, not only in the aggressivity, the way that we compete [and] in a tactical perspective. The thing is more now within knowledge about what we need to do and I think we're keeping improving. That is the idea."