'Communicate and fight' - Fiery speech highlights Mauricio Pochettino's passion, even as USMNT coach outlines methodical approach to roster building

Pochettino's philosophy, the USMNT coach said, begins with evaluation and understanding of available talent. This methodical approach has become a hallmark of his management style throughout his career at clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain among others. 

“I believe that every process begins with evaluation and gaining understanding,” Pochettino said in US Soccer’s Behind the Crest series. “And from there, designing a plan to be able to arrive in the best way possible the competition that motivates everyone and which is our dream of arriving to the World Cup in the best condition.”

Pochettino’s passionate halftime address during the 2-1 win over Australia offered a glimpse into his motivational style and high expectations for his squad. Frustrated by a lack of energy and communication in the first half, he urged his players to rediscover their intensity, emphasizing teamwork, pressing, and collective aggression.

“Always we were talking, eh?," he told the team. “We didn’t talk because in the way that we conceded, I didn’t listen because it was dead, it was dead. The team, it was dead. You need to talk, you need to say ‘Left shoulder, right shoulder.’ That is football. If we want to compete and we are 1-1 because we have the quality. But now in 45 minutes we need to show more quality, play together. If you made a mistake I don’t care. But communicate and fight.

“Aggressive is to go. Stay close and then play with the ball. Be aggressive. Every time that we play, we create chances, we create chances. OK guys? Realize that we have an opportunity, an amazing opportunity to keep improving. But hey, only at your quality and you’re aggressivity and you’re big heart.”

The ultimate goal of Pochettino's methodical approach seems to be ensuring players reach their optimal condition when it matters most, with all decisions made to ensure players arrive at the World Cup in the best possible condition.

Pochettino's roster-building philosophy represents a fundamental shift for a program that has historically struggled with establishing consistent selection criteria. The U.S. will play the 2026 World Cup on home soil, with Canada and Mexico also hosting matches.