United States manager Mauricio Pochettino said Sunday’s commanding 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in their Concacaf Gold Cup opener will restore confidence to his squad after a period of intense criticism.
The U.S. national team entered the tournament on a four-match losing streak, including a humbling 4-0 friendly defeat to Switzerland last week, which had put the team and its manager under significant pressure. However, they responded emphatically in their first Group D match in California to move to the top of the standings.
Several of the team’s top European-based players, including Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah, opted to skip the tournament, a decision which had drawn public criticism from former U.S. stars Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas.
Pochettino acknowledged the difficult build-up and stressed the importance of a positive start to their Gold Cup campaign.
“Today’s game was also a difficult one, especially because of the negative things that happened in recent weeks,” Pochettino said, as quoted by ESPN. “Some results that haven’t gone well always generate a bit of noise. It’s important for the players to have that confidence.”
With the 2026 World Cup on home soil looming, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss framed the Gold Cup as a critical opportunity for players on the fringe of his squad to prove their worth.
“We want to win, but at the same time it’s to help the players to perform and to knock (on) the door and say, we can perform for the national team and we can be involved in the next World Cup,” he added. “That is what I expect. Win, and the player really believes that they are having the opportunity…(to) fight for a place in the World Cup.”
The U.S. lead Group D ahead of Saudi Arabia, who are participating as an invited guest team, and beat Haiti 1-0 in their opening fixture. The United States will face Saudi Arabia in Texas on Thursday. The Gold Cup final is scheduled for July 6.
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