Los Angeles:
When the United States’ team exited at halftime during their most recent match against the Socceroos, their coach—renowned and typically composed Mauricio Pochettino—was visibly upset. The score was 1-1, but the Argentinian manager criticized his players, pointing out that the Australians were more physically dominant and that the Americans needed to stop allowing themselves to be pushed around in the scrappy friendly held in Colorado last October. He urged the US squad to stand up for themselves.
The US eventually won the match 2-1, and it is anticipated that the upcoming World Cup encounter in Seattle on Saturday (AEST) will be just as intense. A victory for either team could see them secure the top spot in Group D, depending on other results. American midfielder Sebastian Berhalter mentioned that Pochettino, who has managed clubs such as Paris St Germain, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, has transformed the US team into a more physical side, and this aspect will be evident at Lumen Stadium.
“We’re American, we don’t take shit,” Berhalter told reporters in Irvine, located just south of Los Angeles, where the US team is based. “I think that’s something that [Pochettino] really instilled. And, you know, even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset of this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America’s about.”
Berhalter’s remarks quickly reached the Socceroos camp, with Australian defender Alessandro Circati responding, “We don’t take it either.”
Five members of Australia’s World Cup starting lineup for the Turkey match also featured in the October loss to the US: Alessandro Circati, Jordan Bos, Connor Metcalfe, Jacob Italiano, and Cameron Burgess. Nestory Irankunda and Mo Toure came off the bench for the final 30 minutes of the match.
Berhalter did not play in the October friendly but had been informed about Pochettino’s half-time reaction. “You could see that they were up for it, and they’re putting in challenges,” he said. “That’s when Mauricio had that halftime rant, and he said you can’t let these guys kick us around … [Seattle] is going to be a physical game.”
Winger Tim Weah stated that his team is now better prepared for the physicality of facing Australia.
“That game in Colorado was fun, it was our first kind of experience with Australia … we were feeling them out, how aggressive they were,” he said. “It was aggressive, and I think from that game we’ve changed a lot; we’ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.”
If Australia defeats the United States and Paraguay either draws or loses to Turkey, the Socceroos will secure first place in Group D with a game to spare. This would also mean Australia would gain the pathway into the knockout stages that had been intended for the US, allowing the team to remain in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they have been based since May 31.
Similarly, if the US wins and Turkey either draws or loses, they will claim the top spot. Their star attacker, Christian Pulisic, again trained separately during the open section of the team’s training in Irvine and remains a day-to-day proposition to start against the Socceroos.
Pulisic played a key role for the US in the opening 45 minutes of their opening World Cup match in Los Angeles, providing an assist and being heavily involved in the Paraguay own goal as the US secured a 4-1 victory. He was substituted at halftime after sustaining a calf injury and was replaced by Berhalter, who could start if the American captain is not fit.
