Pochettino sets record straight on USMNT ‘regulars’ after Pulisic and McKennie omissions in 5-1 win over Uruguay

Christian Pulisic And Weston McKennie were two of the biggest absences for the US men’s national team during the November international break, even as the team posted two strong results. After a dominant 5-1 win Uruguay, head coach Mauricio Pochettino set the record straight regarding the idea of ​​“regular players” in the USMNT.

After a solid performance against Paraguay, the USMNT suffered a defeat Uruguay Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Of only Sergiño Dest and Matt Freese remain in the starting lineup from one match to the nextPochettino’s reshuffled side, with Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman among the standouts, stunned the South American giants in a historic 5-1 win.

Pochettino was asked about his bold decision to make nine lineup changes and his recent comments about not having “regular players”, a question that set the Argentinian boss on fire: “I don’t want to be negative, but I hate that: ‘no regular players‘. What this means is that the US is playing, the national team. We have to stop that mentality. Every time we make our decision and pick our starting eleven, the U.S. Men’s National Team is playing.“

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager once again backed his side and made his stance clear on the respect his players deserve. “I guess after a year you really have to know me and I hate talking like this. It’s disrespectful. I think we have to give credit to all the guys who were involved today”, he added.

Pulisic, Timothy Weah, and McKennie were three major absences for the USMNT in November. Pulisic and Weah were still in the late stages of their injury recoveryWhile for McKennie, Pochettino noted that the midfielder must gain the trust of new Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti, something Pochettino already knows he can provide at national team level.

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Yet Pochettino remains steadfast in his approach of giving minutes to a wide range of players as he works his way to the top USMNT final selection for the 2026 World Cup. Between the matches of Paraguay and Uruguay 21 of the 24 players called up to November’s camp saw actionwhich reinforces the coach’s belief in developing more than just a traditional starting XI.

Pochettino, USMNT and a sense of ‘togetherness’

Several stars have already missed November’s international break Pochettino led the US to five consecutive unbeaten results against top-40 opponents for the first time since 2013. Besides streaks or scorelines, what mattered most to the Argentine manager was the attitude and dedication of the players.

At the post-match press conference, Pochettino emphasized what he wants from this group: “What I really appreciate about the team and all the staff is the way we start to connect with each other, and that’s the most important thing (thing) to come to the World Cup and get the chance to challenge the big teams. This is how the team behaves: Nine changes from Paraguay, but we keep the idea, the philosophy, the faith, the struggle, the solidarity.“

He then emphasized the unity he felt during the match. “I don’t know if you can perceive it or not, but all players on the bench supported the starting eleven. That connection is great, that’s what we wanted, and the credit goes to the players”, he concluded.