Mauricio Pochettino says rebuilding US team is tougher than he imagined, but he's making progress | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Mauricio Pochettino says rebuilding the U.S. team has been harder than he expected, but progress is visible as the Americans compete in their home World Cup. Speaking Tuesday night at a media roundtable in his office in Dana Point, California, he said the scope of the overhaul was “worse than we really believed” after the 2024 Copa America ended with elimination in the group stage and Gregg Berhalter’s firing. Pochettino, who had never coached a national team, noted the challenge of changing a roster and culture with limited player contact. The U.S. has opened the tournament with back-to-back victories over Paraguay and Australia, winning 6-1 combined. The team plays Turkey on Thursday night in Southern California and then hosts a round-of-32 match in Northern California next week.