The Mauricio Pochettino Interview

Welcome into another episode of Unfiltered Soccer, a special one, because you might be wondering what in the heck we're doing sitting next to each other on a fancy couch here in Chicago.

But

we have the really amazing honor of interviewing U.S.

Men's National Team head coach, Mauritio Pacatino.

We're super excited for this internally, but we know you as our listeners and the fans are beyond excited to hear what he has to say.

So it's going to be ACEs.

We're excited for it and really looking forward to having him join us in the room.

We'll be there in one minute.

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As always, you can email us at unfiltered.

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And without further ado.

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim presented by Volkswagen.

Well,

we are delighted to have with us in this country the top of the top, the king of U.S.

soccer, which is Mauricio Pacetino.

So great to see you again.

Always enjoy spending time with you in the past and talking football.

Our audience, unfiltered soccer audience, is so hungry to hear from you.

They just can't, they cannot wait and neither can we.

So thank you for being here.

Now thank you so much for me.

I think it's a great honor to be with you.

Tulation.

Thank you.

Amazing.

And

I think it's a fantastic opportunity to talk about football.

And always it's a pleasure to talk with you both.

Good.

So you've had some time now with the team, a few different camps, a long January camp, some shorter camps.

So our first question is because we're kind of old and get cynical and grumpy sometimes, but what can fans be excited about in the next year?

leading up to the World Cup.

And we're going to get into some of the harder questions and what's going on, but how can we be excited about this team as we move forward?

Well, I think the first is the Federation and all the staff and the people that is involved in prepare.

I've been the host of the World Cup in Guanira.

I think we try to translate that passion and the excitement about to to be part and to be involved

in the World Cup in Guanir

here.

And then all the people,

also that is helping us around, telling you like

building the new training ground to many people that is

doing an amazing effort, you know, in an economic, but also in time, to help the Federation to create some scenes and legacy for the future, not only for now, for the present, if not for the future, I think, is, I think, the country in behind is what we are feeling, that is in behind also the funds is in behind, they're so exciting that the World Cup arrives.

In the same time, it's true that we are building something.

And always,

when you are building something, always are up and downs in this period.

It's true that we are a little bit disappointed.

We were very excited after January, not because of the two races against Venezuela or Costa Rica, but it was about how the players showed, the team showed.

that aggressivity that we want to translate.

And then with all the circumstances in March, I think the circumstance didn't help us to show that.

I think we are a little bit pessimistic about about that.

But I think that only needs to be a thing that can help us to improve and to realize that we need to be

much better, we need to perform much better, we need to be more professional, we need to care more.

Our national team needs to be the priority.

Talking, I think, into many points that we need to talk, I think to improve.

I think sometimes

when you win, when you win, I think always you want to win.

But sometimes in some defects, I think it can help you to see the reality and to say, if we want to be competitive and arrive in a good form in the in the World Cup, I think we need to change a little bit the approach

that we are

having with

the team, the national team.

And I think that I think was a knock in the door to say pay attention that we need to change.

Because if not, I think

yes,

that is not the way.

that we need to compete.

And we'll touch on the roster building of the Gold Cup.

But you talked about the country being behind the team and the fans being behind the team.

What makes it different about playing a World Cup on your home soil?

Is there more pressure with that?

Do the players recognize how important that is to play at home during a World Cup?

Yeah, because Argentina, you were probably five or six years old when the World Cup happened.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, so what's yeah, what is that?

We didn't get to experience it.

You know, we wanted to play on our home soil.

Yeah, so what is that about?

How do you think that's going to translate?

No, I think it's going to be, I feel the responsibility and we all feel the responsibility.

I think we try to translate not all the whole stuff, I think the responsibility.

In the same time, knowing that this soccer or football is about to enjoy, it's about to not to put too much pressure on the player because the player need to perform and more freedom and they are if they are happy and they can express the talent.

But I think,

yes, of course, it's a massive pressure because I think the mentality and the culture of this country is about to win.

If we we analyze

not only in the sport, okay, or maybe we can go, no,

in the Olympic Games.

USA always is,

if not, the first is the

second first, but it's the first, always is the best.

Financial side,

politics and everything is, I think, the side of this country,

I think,

put you in a position that you need to deliver your shop.

You need to

show that you are brave, that you are a winner,

but not talking like I am talking now because it's easy to talk, no?

But the most important is go and to show and show on the pitch when you need to defend your flag there fighting and being a team.

That is the moment to say, hey, yes, we have quality.

I am a good player, but now it's about to to defend your country.

And I think when the athletes in different sports or Olympic games, I think you can show that.

I think in soccer, I think we need to reduce this gap, and I think we need to really believe that it's possible.

But at the same time, we need to be able

to do the effort.

Because that is the most important thing.

Because sometimes we can say, yes, I want to do the effort, but after you need to show that you want to do the effort.

And that is a problem sometimes that the confusion is, I am professional, I care.

I am commitment.

Yeah, but who settled the line of the commitment, effort, and that is the important thing because maybe for me big commitment in this line is good but it's not enough to compete with another country or with another player or

you know being professional what it means to be that is important under our experience we are here not to change the culture because your culture is amazing the most important is to try to be here and to build some sim

you know philosophy to say yes that is a way to compete

and to match the another big countries.

Because I think that is the culture of the country.

That is why I'm not agreeing when the people say, oh, we need to change the culture.

What means to change the culture?

It's not to eat burger.

No, no, no, and I think we are all different.

If

it's like I go to England and say, no, you need we need to change the culture, oh, you need to change the culture.

No, you need to adapt to the culture of the country, knowing the people, knowing the player.

Of course, that generation is changing, football is evolving, and you know, we cannot compare maybe when we were a player now in the current time.

But I think always adapting, but with the respecting the culture and then, you know, giving your best to compete.

It's so simple, but

really difficult to translate to the after to the pitch.

The previous manager here, Greg Berhalter, said, we want to change the way the world thinks about soccer in america and thinks about the us how does the rest of because you are argentinian you lived in london for a long time you coached in spain how does the rest of the world now view us today right and i know it's changed over time how would you describe that always i am really honest and seeing your you know podcast always because when i have time i can of course coach the you don't have time that's the point now but yes always i'll find time you know and i think it's important to understand that that uh soccer here is, I think we have good example

to follow.

I think the women team, fourth-time winners of the World Cup, the mentality and the belief, I talk a lot about with Emma, we have good example there.

How we are seen as

the player or the soccer here is that it's improving a lot.

When people say, no, but the MLS, or you say, no, but we have the best player in the world playing here, Messi.

And Messi, when play football, it's difficult for him because I think it's very competitive, the MLS now.

I think sometimes people underestimate the MLSA, but I think the player now that we are involved in the last year watching a lot of football and seeing all the coaches here and the preparation and the capacity and the quality, I think we cannot talk easy about, you know, to say, oof.

But I think

it's about also to reduce this gap that I think we need to be honest and say that when you think in USA, you think about athletes in Olympic Games, basketball yeah NFLA hockey you know baseball and then soccer it's difficult to fight with this uh this idea what we need to do is to provide you know the the all the tools to the to our player to help them to to perform better today we have plenty of players playing abroad you know of USA but the most important thing is the culture I think that we saw in you

that to be desperate to come and be the priority, the national team.

And maybe that gap was about to

grow, maybe not thinking in this way.

And that is a responsibility of us that the people need to prioritize the national team.

We were talking about Argentine player or Brazilian player or English player or Spanish player.

They are desperate.

Even Messi, even Neymar, even Mbappe for France.

These guys are desperate to go to the national team.

And for them, when they go, they don't see if it's a friendly game, it's an official game, it's a workout, it doesn't matter.

Because the possibility to defend one time, one time more,

your flag, your shirt, is about to feel proud about that.

And that is the responsibility to us to translate.

I was talking before with the manager of the, of the, here at the hotel, because he said, what I can do, no, to have, you know, translate to the player when I write this passion, because I've seen in the way that you were talking with me, you motivate me.

You inspire me.

He was proud of his job.

Yes, exactly.

No, very proud.

And that's it.

That is what we need, is to feel proud, to feel the passion, to be desperate to play, to put the ego when you arrive to the national team outside.

I think that is the most important thing that I think is our responsibility.

Yeah, you talked about after the Nations League, you talked about wanting to fight for your country, for your flag.

And then now you touched on prioritizing and how the big players always need to prioritize the national team.

You've not been in a job a long time.

Is that something that surprised you early on that

you're so used to big players picking their national team as a priority, and yet it seems as if sometimes some of our players aren't necessarily seeing it as that priority?

Is that something that surprised you?

When things happen,

I try always to not to blame the players.

I think because even when we do not play well, I think we

blame ourselves to say we didn't give

all the tools, or maybe

we were not clear, or our tactics or game plan wasn't good, or our method wasn't great, or I think we made a mistake because rather to train in the morning, we train in the afternoon.

No, yes, I think we try to not to try to blame ourselves.

And I think to arrive in one year time and

the player to feel what in the way that we want want it that they can feel

or is the possibility that they can feel in this way is our responsibility.

And it's up to us because it's in the way that we are going to coach, in the way that we are going to communicate, in the way...

I don't want to use teach because I think teach is a massive word, not to teach, but I think through our examples, you know, to try to for them to realize because they are so intelligent and what happened in the past and why we arrive in this moment in this uh this in this type of situation is not to blame the players because i think we need to evolve and that is our also our moment for

with all the coaching staff you know in the world is to evolve with the new generation of our kids yeah you know our and that is is so important i think they are intelligent enough to realize but sometimes they need to make the mistake they need to make the mistake to say oh i was wrong sometimes you can tell, you can tell, you can tell, say, oh, he's not.

Like with your kids.

Always happen.

No, in our career, we say, oh, this coach was

right.

But I thought I was wrong in this moment.

And we try to accelerate this process to say, oh, realize before

we leave the

you.

Because maybe five years after, you say, oh,

he was wrong, but the opportunity, we missed the opportunity.

to perform, we miss the opportunity to make history.

And I think we are in a moment now to make history and to translate different feelings and emotion to the people and also to help the new generation that came, the kids that came,

you know, that they are growing now and seeing us like idols, I think

grow in a different way for sure, but in our, you know, this, in our mindset.

Yeah, so let's just dig in a little bit.

So I'm not comparing Lionel Messi to Christian Pulisic, okay?

But in America, our fans feel the same level of passion for the way he plays.

He plays at a big club.

He's had an amazing year at Milan.

You've already spoken publicly about Christian not coming to the Gold Cup and what that was about.

As a staff and as a coach, when your best player decides not to go, how do you then transition to, okay, you know, we have to move on.

There's nothing you can do now.

How are you going to handle that internally with the team?

How are you going to position the team moving forward through the Gold Cup so that you can still be successful?

Because obviously, now one door closes, another door opens for someone else to come in.

And I'm curious how you're processing that and how you're going to move forward.

First of all, I think Christian in the last year, I think, was showing a great quality.

And he's performing, you know, in Europe, and also he's performing here in the national team.

He's a very talented player that can help us to win.

Of course.

Of course.

And you say people compare Messi with Christian Pulisis.

I don't want to be disrespectful with messi or with pulisi or pulisi or with messi but i think

in this country pulisic should be our messier yeah no yeah yeah yeah

and

because it's a iconic player and the kid on the street for sure if you ask uh one soccer player in this country is pulisic of course yes when you talk about the if i feel disappointed or no i i think we have very good communication with our players and christian is a very nice nice guy and it's very commitment with the national team.

And he wants to help, and of course, he's desperate to play the World Cup and arrive in the best condition.

In all this conversation that we were, you know, taking with the player, I think that was, I think, the best maybe decision to help him because every player are in different circumstances.

And even if I want Christian here or another player here, you know, or Anthony, or like this,

and I think no one or another teammate is going to think badly about if I am saying that because I think also that you may respect Christian and Anthony like another player but I think is sometimes you need to put the interest in a maybe medium long term than in the present because for me after the the the March camp I say okay I don't care about nothing.

I want to win tomorrow and I want to win.

That is the consequence after, you know, because I think we are all preparing the focus on the World Cup.

And sometimes we need to be open and flexible in some decision.

When we talk about this type of decision, for us,

I think

it was a tough decision because

I think we agree, because also it was our idea, was our decision on the end, you know,

because on the end if

you say you need to come, but I think we cannot force the player to come.

But I think I need to be fair and say it was a collective decision, you know, to try to find the best for the national team and for the best for the player.

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All right, Timmy, this episode is brought to you by our friends at Virgin Atlantic.

Yeah, we're here at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK.

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So, we talk about medium and long-term planning or goals.

Does it obstruct you in any way trying to build toward next summer, not having potentially a bulk of your team together as you start to push through the Gold Cup, use that competition as a kind of a precursor to the World Cup with no World Cup qualifying, which everyone talks about is a huge issue.

Does your staff and yourself see that as a problem?

People think that we don't have time.

because we start in October.

And the reality, we have two camps to be together and now was a great opportunity, no?

And sometimes when we're talking about to change this culture and mentality, when people talk about that, when the player no think that okay

if in the past we were not involved it's because the gold cup is not important right that is why it's so careful how we send the message and how they get the message on the play and some say no are you raised because the gold cup we are going to have this list a

A list is not going to be here, the B and the C and the C.

It's not a criticize to former people, but it's different ways for us in our ideas and in our philosophy.

And that doesn't mean that we have more or less knowledge about the game,

about the game, about soccer, about football.

That is in the way that you want to approach, because I think I know very well and we know very well the psychology of the mindset of the player.

And sometimes the player, they assume that that is normal.

I am so happy, I'm so so excited of the group that we are going to have.

And of course, waiting for the future that all the players will be available to have the possibility to select the best player for the World Cup, knowing that I think we need to be better, compete better, and improve in all the areas that I think we need to improve.

Is your priority now for the Gold Cup evaluating or we have to win, win, win this Gold Cup?

Right?

Because on the back of Nations League, it's not successful.

Now do you feel like, shoot, we need to win?

Or are you seeing near future, but also seeing the big picture?

I think we need to win.

We need to win because I feel so bad, so shit.

That is the world when we lose.

Yeah, again in Panama.

And then the second game was okay, how it was, no?

But in the same time, in the parallel way, I think it's a great opportunity for too many players to show we are here and we want to fight for a place in the World Cup with the national team and say, I can perform in Philadelphia, I can perform in Vancouver, I can perform in Columbus, yeah, but also I can perform in the national team and I can perform with the big size.

And I think if the player, I think, came now with this mentality to say hey we are not here for holidays we are here to try you know to show the coach that they we are here because we care and we want to win and we want to compete in our best i think it's going to be a very exciting exciting moment you know to see them uh and then to compete to win the the world cup you've talked about mls and and it being a strong league

how important is it to you that your players are playing because i think we see around some of the year some of the the players who are in Europe maybe not playing the same amount of minutes.

As it goes into the next year in terms of selection and certainly for the World Cup, I would imagine it's vitally important to you that your players are playing big minutes, whether it's an MLS or not.

No, exactly.

I was talking some examples like Matt Turner.

And I think

after...

you know, a period, long period that he didn't play, I think we were talking about the necessity to play because we cannot give all the tools in a few days preparing him to compete.

No,

and it's in the competition that the competition provides some

capacity,

knowing only your confidence, you know, in your timings and everything that, you know, that is important.

Not only with training session, okay, if you not play and come here.

Two training sessions, we have the

secret or the magic touch that you can play if you don't compete during a long period.

And I think the good thing that he was conscious about that and I think the another player that we were talking that maybe not play too much with the possibility to move and to find a place that can compete even if it's maybe lower level but sinking always in the benefit for the for the national team.

Yes, that is a thing that we are talking and we are very open and we don't know not scared or we don't have fears to talk with the player in this type of you know subject that is sometimes painful because you need to tell some player look you need to play at the moment okay so far it's all is good because i think we are checking your character your personality your capacity to be to be leader the leadership that you have but in some point to be a leadership is about to you need to compete to after to to have the you know the the right to

express you know your talent and to talk with your teammate.

That I think is really important for us.

That is why I think it was was time in the last few months and now is a time also to talk with the players still that are in this situation and to try to help, to advise in the best way.

Yeah, as a follow-up to that, you mentioned Matt Turner.

So how are you feeling about the goalkeeper situation?

If we looked at Zach Stefan and Matt Turner, in my opinion, they're the best two that we have.

But you obviously have a bunch of goalkeepers in the pool.

How do you feel that they're progressing and putting themselves in terms of the best stead to start?

No, I think it's now is is the moment to,

I think, to

show,

because on the end it's a fighting between them, you know, to

show

that I am the number one.

It's true that disappointed because sometimes the player suffers some injury and we cannot give the opportunity, you know, like Patrick,

Schulte.

For me, it's a signal that is going to be very natural, the selection,

because it's about that,

for sure,

that is going to be good, the two friendly games and the Go Gap, because I think we have the opportunity to see different

opportunity, different keeper.

But I think I am not worried about that because I, like you say, we have quality.

Also, in behind, we have

another keeper that can perform.

I want to big picture.

Let's assume every player is healthy and you're in, let's take you ahead to the World Cup.

And it's the first game and it's halftime.

You're down a goal to whoever and you need a leader or a couple leaders to step up and

get a message that you're feeling through to the group on the field.

Right now, who are those players?

And I know it will change potentially over time, but even maybe right now, who is like, you need a message and you need the team to turn right now.

Who is it that you that you can count on to do that?

I think for the circumstance that when we arrive to October, I think the picture changed

in the national team.

And I think in the way that we like

to translate the message, in the way that we are open and to give the opportunity to all the players to step up and show the character.

because we don't want to assume that because four years ago someone was captain, some player was captain now should be

the captain, because the circles have changed, you know, and things were changing in years.

I think we are very open and we are giving the opportunity to the group and the player that are involved in this type of group and say, oh, come on, show me.

Show me.

Yeah, yeah.

Because I don't want to say, no, because you were the captain, now you are the captain.

For me, it's a little bit a process,

a natural process that

we are feeling, no, the player, because sometimes some player can surprise you,

you know, and can step up and say, oh, that is

the leader.

I'll say, oh, I never, but if you don't give the opportunity and you create the platform for them to that appear, it's difficult because yes, we can go with the normal names.

They say, okay, this guy plays here, okay, he's the captain, like this.

But and then, you know, I think the most important thing is to see in a spontaneous way who step up when the scenario run,

when the stress is there, when the pressure is there, you know, who step up and say, hey, I am here.

It's interesting that you said about players of surprise.

We had Diego Luna on our podcast a couple weeks ago.

And I think he surprised us as well.

He's got a tough mentality.

I didn't watch.

I need to watch.

It's fine.

He's got a tough mentality.

And I just wonder going back to the January camp and everything that happened there, did he surprise you did his mentality shine through it's not surprised me it's like uh after many years working no with players uh you smell that can happen something no and when diego in the game in orlando received an elbow in his

ice i saw he was like this

blood

he finally looked handsome for the doctor said no the doctor said to me

but he said Coach, I want to play.

That's what you want.

Because

I said, yeah, but it's a friendly game.

I said, Dio, it's a friendly game.

Dio, it's a friendly game.

Your nose, I didn't want to worry him, but I was like, scary nobody was like this, but it was amazing.

And he convinced the doctor, doctor, doctor, I can play.

If you allowed me to play, I want to play.

Coach, I want to play.

And then in the half-time, we'll see.

And then go

fight,

crash with one guy after after one was gonna and then take the ball ass is to that is what i want for sure that's what you want it's not a ah ciao yeah

chow no yeah that is what i want that is the mentality that is that you feel that the player play

no for nothing more than the yeah the pride to be a player to defend the share to that's what you're used to in argentina right i was like i played because of that not because of my quality quality

it's been been fun.

It's going to be fun to watch him grow and see how he continues to do.

Okay, I want to just a couple more, and thank you for being so gracious with your time.

We just want to do a couple of fun ones because we certainly American fans are still getting to know you.

And so they want to know just your perspective on big picture global football.

So you were part of a lot of big rivalries, and then you grew up in Argentina.

So from your perspective, biggest rivalry of these three: Spurs, Arsenal, Español, Barcelona, Boca River.

I think it's easy for you, huh?

No, the three were

really tough, you know?

Because I grew in Argentina, River Boca

for me was the massive.

I don't think American fans understand

that game or that rivalry.

It's not, you know, like Spurs Arsenal is good.

But that game is crazy.

Yeah, but that game is crazy.

It's crazy.

And then because divide a country.

Yeah.

Because

in Argentina, happen that

are you have one team and then Boca River, you know, that is the difference with another maybe country.

In Argentina, it's like a it's divided between two, no, divide the country and river and vocab.

And then you have the another club.

Right.

This is that is amazing scene if you think.

You mean you'll you'll be a fan of another club, but then you have fans.

I don't know.

Him nasi or

yes, exactly.

And then I support more river or I support vocab.

It's like crazy.

It's crazy.

Because they are so big, these two.

Yeah, for me, that's one of the best rivalries, is Boca River.

Yeah, and then

I grew up there, and that's why for me, Ogu was an impact, not for me.

So is this an easy question for you if I asked you who's the greatest Argentine player of all time?

Is it simple?

It's emotional answer for me.

Maradona was my hero.

And it's difficult for Messi to fight with my hero.

No, I put Messi in a position of my,

but I think both are amazing, yeah.

But Maradona is because emotional, no, because when I was a kid, I would grow, no,

and that is motion that you build inside yourself, that is for the rest of your life.

But Messi, what we can say about

everything.

Okay, at any time during your life,

this is a

this is a good one

in any argent let's say any are just to make it interesting any argentinian world cup squad from 78 through today

could tim

and or me have made the roster on any of them you can be honest you won't hurt our feelings with goi cachea and martinez now i'm not making it it's okay it's fine but maybe as the third

No, for me, he can carry the water bottle.

No, but maybe I am wrong, eh?

But for me, you are in the top five,

sure, or top 10 in the history, no, in

America, America, for sure.

Top one, top ten.

No, but I think you were great players.

And I think you, you, if you rather to born here or there, I think you play for sure in the national team.

I think so.

For sure.

This is what

I saw under my judgment.

It's not because you are here.

Yeah.

But I think a few months ago they asked me about, you know, the player, USA player, and my, to pick my best player.

And I include you.

Thank you, Miso.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

No, but it's not because now we are here and oh I come to be nice.

Because you were good.

You should not.

And then you were tough.

And the type of player I think always I said to

in England, some player said, Adam Lalana.

Adam La Lana.

When we arrived in South Canton, oh my god, yes.

And then he moved to Liverpool.

They say, you can be an Argentina or a Spanish player.

If you born rather to born here, you're born in Spain.

You play with Messi, with Inesta, with Chavi.

You can feel the play.

And that is the case of you.

You know, for sure you can play.

We're getting this on camera, right?

I'm going to show everyone I know.

Last one from me.

I go through your list of players you've coached, and it's Messi, Mbappe, Neymar, Kane,

some others.

And I just think it's incredible the places you've been the coach and the people you've coached.

If is it fair for me to ask you who's who's the greatest player you've ever coached?

I mean, we know Messi is probably the greatest, but I mean, I look at what Mbappe has done in the game.

No, it's actually exactly if you say Messi, of course, he's a

okay.

Let's put him aside after him, after him, no, Neymar, Mbappe, Harry Ken, so on.

But also, always I include

two players, Musa de Mbele,

midfielder, Belchium, that play in Tottenham with everyone says that about him, Special.

And Yvanda La Peña.

Because we can just say, I don't know, you talk about talented players, like Ococha, that played with Ococha

or Ronaldinho.

But these two guys, for me, were the, they had the talent, amazing talent in the same level that the player that we are talking.

Always say, oh,

the people say to me, oh, yeah, but yeah, yeah.

The La Peña and Yvande La Peña, I don't know if you remember

the Buddha,

the Petit Buddha, they say, because

that's amazing.

And then Musa El Mele,

what a talented person, friend.

That's amazing, no?

Yeah.

Yes, but the rest, of course, it's easy to celebrate.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, last thing.

Thank you, first of all.

I think on behalf of everybody, all American soccer fans, it's great now.

get to know you a little bit better get to understand your thinking it we could do this for three hours but you have things to do um we're very grateful We are trying to find optimism, right?

And you've spoken to it.

And there's been some disappointments along the way, but we're all hoping as fans of soccer, football in this country that this happens.

Yeah, but for sure, for sure, players, staff, federation, fans, of course, you are part of the family too, because

your legacy is there.

We are going to arrive in a very good

shape to the World Cup, ready to compete and to, I think, to maybe enjoy the funds and to the funds to feel proud and defend in the best way our country.

We're honored to have you.

So, thank you.

Best of luck.

Nauricio, thank you.

Pleasure, thank you.

And we have optimism again.

Thank you.

Thank you very much so much.

That was a lot.

Very grateful to Maurico Pochatino for taking the time.

And my takeaway, Tim, I mean, I have a lot, but

he gets it.

Like, he sees what's going on and he's obviously going to be careful about how he's speaking.

He used the word prioritize a lot.

He said,

make this a priority.

And my biggest takeaway, I think overall, and there's some other smaller ones, is he came from Argentina.

He grew up in Argentina.

The idea.

of a player not wanting to play for their national team must blow his mind.

He must be like, this is crazy.

You don't want to come play for your national team because he knows what that means to the country.

So that's my overall biggest thing.

Yeah, I mean, it was really nice to sit with him.

I do think he gets it.

And we always put that in air quotes.

And what I think that means to me is

we as fans get frustrated with the team at times

about the setup.

We question some things.

And from being around him, both on and off camera, I get the sense that he shares a lot of those same frustrations and that he realizes that he can only control so much by getting these players.

You know, this summer he gets them for five weeks, why we think the gold cup is so important, but ultimately he gets these players for 10 days or less.

And so he's trying to figure out ways to not dwell on what he can't do, but try and fix what he can.

And he talked about it very openly.

It's not his job to change the culture.

It's not his job to change the culture.

And that currently the system that these players have been in probably for the last six years has been one that has been, for lack of a better term, comfortable.

And I think to his point, when you give a player an opportunity to be comfortable,

unless you get a real dog who just is going to push themselves outside of something extraordinary, you're going to take that opportunity.

He mentioned

in his quotes

a few weeks back, like this culture of being able to come and engulf and no more golf.

And it's obviously part of

a bigger issue, but it's not his job to change that.

It's on the players to do that.

And so that was an interesting part of it for me.

But he certainly understands the challenge.

I believe him now.

I said this to you before last week, maybe, but I do believe him now that he's saying, all right, I'm not, I'm not doing away with these players, right?

These are good, talented players, these players who are declining to come in, whatever.

But he is saying, if someone else takes the job and the way you say it is great, like, well, he said it too, get the opportunity in this camp to come into the next camp.

And in that camp, the opportunity to come into the next.

And that's how it is in Argentina.

He said it with big players.

They're just trying to get into the next camp.

Right.

Earning the right to play in the next camp.

And some of the American guys this summer are thinking, some of our guys are thinking i'm thinking about the world cup and he's like hey hold on a sec there's no guarantee you're going to the world cup right and so for for other guys coming into camp this this summer in the gold cup this is a huge opportunity and in past in past iterations with past coaches guys probably would have been like i got no chance like i know i'm part of the b team and all that but these guys have chance that's the that's the the thing that he mentioned to us, right, was this concept of a team and B team.

He mentioned they're a list and B list.

And what that does is it kind of infiltrates the mindset of players.

Like you just know I'm an A player or you just know I'm on the B list.

And he's tried to do away with that.

And he and his staff have tried to do a good job of taking that away, trying to put people on level playing fields or level footing.

And I said to you last week, and I meant it, like, I don't necessarily know if this gold cup presents opportunities for guys to maybe surpass some of the A-listers, but I feel a little bit more encouraged by that,

after speaking to him and having lunch with him and spending time with him here, that

I think guys will get opportunities.

I think he does.

Look, the one thing he said, and he's made clear, he was very disappointed with the Nations League and how it finished, and that he is going to drive this team, particularly in the summer months in the Gold Cup.

He's going to

change his...

attitude a little bit.

He's going to push these guys and that it should hurt.

And so, look, I think there's opportunities there.

Again, I don't think it's, I don't don't think it's a bunch of opportunities but i think for a handful of guys the gold cup creates a a huge summer for them that if they can show well they can fight so that they that it means something and it hurts i think those guys will get chances yeah he also said before we get out of here he said we have to win the gold cup and that and he he's very so for fans who are discouraged and thinking oh i'm not even going to pay attention to the gold cup now i'm like okay i want to watch now i want to see i want to see what that looks like like through his lens.

Sure.

Who he plays, how he plays them, et cetera.

Yeah, absolutely.

All right.

Amazing.

Thanks again to Mauricio Pochettino.

I'm hopeful that we will get him on the show again before the World Cup, but this was a very successful trip.

As always, thanks to all you guys for supporting us.

It's been amazing.

Yeah, thank you to Mauricio for his time, to U.S.

Soccer for helping set it up and for their support.

We are certainly excited and optimistic.

Thank you to VW, our presenting sponsor.

An incredible, incredible episode.

We hope you enjoy it.

Give us all your feedback.

We'll see you soon.

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