AUSTIN, Texas — Whatever happens in Friday night’s difficult World Cup preparation game against Ecuador, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is certain of one thing.
“I promise you, no one is sure that he is going to be on the roster of the World Cup 2026,” Pochettino said Thursday during his pre-match press conference. “I don’t believe before that was the [case]. As we speak, I promise that each one the fellows really feel they should combat to be there. And that’s priceless.”
Friday’s contest at Q2 Stadium comes virtually precisely a 12 months to the day of the previous Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur supervisor made his debut on the U.S. sideline. That 2-0 pleasant victory over Panama final October someway appears so much longer in the past than that. A lot has modified across the program over the past 12 months, to Pochettino’s level.
In brief, he has pressured the American gamers out of their consolation zone. It has additionally been a steep studying curve for Pochettino, who repeated on Friday that the USMNT stunning losses to that very same Canaleros squad and fellow World Cup co-hosts Canada served as a “wake-up name” for him and his workers.
Now, after leaving Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie off of his September roster and omitting Yunus Musah — one other 2022 World Cup starter — from the present one, he feels the right tone has been set. He has his gamers’ consideration.
Whether or not he has all of them at his disposal in opposition to Ecuador is one other matter.
(Picture by John Dorton/ISI Photographs/USSF/Getty Photographs)
Pochettino revealed on the eve of the exhibition that star man Christian Pulisic didn’t practice on Thursday and won’t be out there. Similar for left again Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and winger Alex Zendejas, who scored the game-winning aim within the People’ most up-to-date check, a 2-0 win over Japan final month. All are nursing minor accidents and may very well be rested for Tuesday’s assembly with Australia in Commerce Metropolis, Colo., the second of this month’s two tune-ups.
Ecuador gained’t be at full energy, both. After qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with ease, ending second in South America behind solely defending world champs Argentina following that continent’s 18-match marathon, La Tricolor boss Sebastián Beccacece left a number of typical starters with their golf equipment this month, most notably Chelsea standout Moises Caicedo, presumably the very best defensive midfielder on all of planet fútbol.
However different stars, like Pulisic’s AC Milan teammate Pervis Estupinan and PSG defender Willian Pacho are right here. And Ecuador hasn’t misplaced a sport since dropping a World Cup qualifier in Brazil greater than a 12 months in the past now.
“They’ve velocity,” mentioned McKennie.
Simply going through a South American foe will probably be completely different. The total-strength U.S. hasn’t performed that since being eradicated from the 2024 Copa América by Uruguay, two months earlier than Pochettino was employed to succeed Gregg Berhalter.
“They’re additionally a workforce that is very aggressive,” defender Chris Richards mentioned. “And so they wish to have a combat.”
A super opponent, then, for a U.S. squad with World Cup roster spots on the road, one which hasn’t swept a two-match worldwide window since beating Jamaica house and away within the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals final November.
“I feel we’re settling in,” Pulisic mentioned. “It is about constructing on good performances, one after the opposite, after final camp, feeling good. And now it’s one other nice alternative.”
That goes for each the USMNT and people hoping to be nonetheless be on it on the most important stage of all.
“For certain the gamers which can be going to play” in opposition to Ecuador, Pochettino mentioned, “Are going to carry out.”
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports activities who has lined United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Comply with him @ByDougMcIntyre.
