'Need to prioritize the national team' - Mauricio Pochettino urges players to 'feel proud' of playing for the USMNT ahead of Gold Cup

In an interview with Unfiltered Soccer, Mauricio Pochettino urged his players to prioritize representing the national team ahead of a busy summer. The U.S. manager referenced stars he's worked with such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane, as prime examples for players who were proud to wear the shirt - and asked his squad to do the same.

His comments come amid controversy in the USMNT, with Pulisic opting to sit out two international friendlies and a Gold Cup.

"The people need to prioritize the national team. We were talking about Argentine players, or Brazilian players or English players or Spanish players, they are desperate. Even Messi, even Neymar, even Mbappe, we were working with these guys, even Harry Kane... these guys are desperate to go to the national team," Pochettino said in an interview with Tim Howard and Landon Donovan.

The manager called for more pride when players wear the U.S. badge.

"For them, when they go, they don't see if it's a friendly game, if it's an official game, it's a World Cup game, it doesn't matter, because the possibility to defend one time your flag, your shirt. I want to feel proud about that. And that is the responsibility to us to translate," he said.

The USMNT have a busy summer ahead, but will go about it with a depleted squad. Pulisic is staying at home, while Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah are also set to miss the next two months.

They will play twice in 10 days before starting their Gold Cup campaign, playing Turkey and Switzerland.