Tribal Football

Pochettino tells players to 'feel proud' playing for USMNT

Shina Oludare
Pochettino tells players to 'feel proud' playing for USMNT
Pochettino tells players to 'feel proud' playing for USMNTAction Plus
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino urged his squad to take national team duties more seriously following Christian Pulisic’s unexpected withdrawal from the squad.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager called on his players to prioritize national team duties ahead of a packed summer.

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He cited the commitment of stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane - players he coached who always took pride in representing their countries.

"The people need to prioritize the national team. We were talking about Argentine players, or Brazilian players or English players or Spanish players, they are desperate,” Pochettino told Unfiltered Soccer.

"Even Messi, even Neymar, even Mbappe, we were working with these guys, even Harry Kane... these guys are desperate to go to the national team.

"For them, when they go, they don't see if it's a friendly game, if it's an official game, it's a World Cup game, it doesn't matter, because the possibility to defend one time your flag, your shirt. I want to feel proud about that. And that is the responsibility to us to translate."