Pochettino says US men's players should aspire to achieve like American women

NEW YORK (AP) — Mauricio Pochettino views the U.S. women's team as the example for his men.

“I think that is going to be our inspiration,” he said. “That is the objective to match.”

Pochettino held a 48-minute introductory news conference Friday, three days after he agreed to coach the Americans through the 2026 World Cup and two days after he landed in the United States. The 52-old Argentine replaced Gregg Berhalter, fired from his second term on July 10 after the Americans were eliminated in the Copa America's first round.

“We are here because we want to win. We are winners,” Pochettino said. “We are going to compete, and compete is completely different than to play."

His first games will be friendlies against Panama on Oct. 12 at Austin, Texas, and at Mexico three days later. While the U.S. men haven’t reached the World Cup semifinals since the initial tournament in 1930 and haven't gotten to the quarterfinals since 2002, the American women have won four World Cups and five Olympic gold medals.

Wearing a dark suit, white dress shirt with no tie and a pocket square, Pochettino was flanked by U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone — a world champion and two-time gold medalist — CEO JT Batson and sporting director Matt Crocker.

"One of the most important things that we need to be inspired by is the women’s team,” Pochettino said.

He coached Spain's Espanyol (2009-12), England's Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19) and Chelsea (2023-24) and France's Paris Saint-Germain (2021-22), winning a French league title. Crocker knew Pochettino from their time together at Southampton, where Crocker was academy director.

“He would pretty much physically hug everybody in the club,” Crocker recalled.

At Stamford Bridge, Pochettino worked alongside Emma Hayes, who won seven league crowns while managing Chelsea from 2012 until becoming the U.S. women's coach last spring. She helped recruit her former colleague.

“I didn’t need to ask. She explained everything,” Pochettino said.

Hayes ran her first U.S. practice on May 28 and led the Americans to an Olympic gold medal 74 days later.

“I was teasing Poch that it only took Emma two months to win an Olympic gold medal, so I’m curious what he’s going to do in two months,” Cone said. “We want to set ourselves up for being able to win any game that we are in.”

Pochettino is heading a national team for the first time, becoming the 10th U.S. coach in 14 years and its first foreign-born leader since Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16.

“We need to believe that we can win, that we can win not only a game, we can win the World Cup, because if not it’s going to be so difficult the journey,” Pochettino said. “We want players that arrive on the day one in the training camp thinking big.”

Pochettino isn't going to judge players by poor performances in a pair of September friendlies and he said the 637 days before their 2026 World Cup opener was sufficient time to prepare.

He is likely to have his full player pool available for just eight one-week training periods before the team gathers ahead of the World Cup.

“Everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare,” he said. “I am in the opposite side. I believe that there is time enough. ... I don’t want to create an excuse for the players to say, oh, yeah, but now we don’t have time to buy the new ideas, the new philosophy.”

Talks began in Barcelona in July.

“We spent a lot of time with him,” Cone said, “just being as open and honest and transparent about the good, the bad, the ugly of U.S. soccer and what he was stepping into because we wanted, if he chose to come here, we wanted him to know exactly what he was getting into, what he was up against, where the opportunities were, and Emma played a huge part in that.”

Negotiations were complicated by the need to settle his previous contract with Chelsea and club officials concentrating on the Aug. 30 transfer deadline and then going on vacation. USSF officials could afford Pochettino’s salary only with the help of gifts from hedge fund and asset management firm heads.

“Unless he was willing to work for much less,” Cone said.

While some have proclaimed the current men's group the most talented the U.S. has produced, Pochettino was more restrained and said “it's a very good generation of players.”

“We have very talented players. I think, of course, the confidence was a little bit low after the Copa America,” he opined. “We need to show that we play as a collective on the pitch.”

Pochettino dined at Fasano Fifth Avenue on Thursday night with American soccer stakeholders that included Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, Los Angeles FC co-managing owner Larry Berg, Philadelphia Union chairman Jay Sugarman and vice chairman Richard Leibovitch. He plans to travel with USSF officials to Atlanta next week to search for housing near the office and training complex under construction in Fayetteville, Georgia.

His news conference — on Friday the 13th, for those who are superstitious — was in a Warner Bros. Discovery screening room at 30 Hudson Yards on the far west side of Manhattan, just eight blocks from Berhalter's introduction at Glasshouse Chelsea on Dec. 4, 2018.

Pochettino is bringing along his longtime staff, assistant coaches Jesús Pérez and Miguel d’Agostino, and goalkeeper coach Toni Jiménez, and will hire at least one addition.

While Pochettino spoke in accented English, he conversed mostly in Spanish when he arrived at Southampton and Pérez was among his interpreters. Pochettino was perturbed when he heard the translation at a news conference after saying he felt “contento.”

“I am not `over the moon.' Why do you say `over the moon?'” he remembered.

Now Pochettino says his family is indeed “over the moon” about the move to America.

“If I am happy, I am motivated," he said. “My family has seen me in the last few weeks, few months I think with fire in my eyes," he said, pointing to his face. "That is the most important thing."

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, speaks at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, left, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, and U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone laugh during a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, speaks at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, smiles after a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, right, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, shakes hands with U.S. soccer sporting director Matt Crocker at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, speaks at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, speaks at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, left, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, shakes hands with U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team, speaks at a press conference Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

DENVER (AP) — Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar hit home runs, Ryan Feltner pitched into the seventh inning for his first victory at Coors Field in two years, and the Colorado Rockies beat Arizona 8-2 on Tuesday night, dealing a setback to the Diamondbacks' playoff hopes.

Tovar, who also homered in Monday’s 3-2 win over Arizona, finished with three hits and drove in two runs. Goodman also homered Monday and connected for his 13th of the season off Blake Walston in the seventh.

Jacob Stallings and Jordan Beck hit run-scoring doubles and Brenton Doyle added a sacrifice fly for the Rockies, who had two more runs in the eighth. Bud Black also recorded his 535th win as Rockies manager, the most in franchise history just ahead of Clint Hurdle.

Christian Walker homered and Pavin Smith had two doubles and scored a run for Arizona, which dropped into a tie with the New York Mets for the last two NL wild-card spots. San Diego holds the top spot.

Feltner (3-10) allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings for his first win at Coors Field since Aug. 9, 2022, snapping a franchise-record string of 21 straight starts without a winning decision at home.

Jordan Montgomery (8-7), making his first start since Aug. 21, returned to the rotation from the bullpen to help fill in for injured starter Ryne Nelson, who was placed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend with right shoulder inflammation.

Montgomery went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is ramping up conditioning and baseball activities at the team’s Arizona training facility as he works toward returning from a left calf injury that has sidelined him since Sept. 2. “Gurriel had four at bats. Came out of that good,” manager Torrey Lovullo said. “Those were live AB’s. And he did some real aggressive baserunning and some outfield work. Tomorrow, he’ll play in an official continuation game.”

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela is doing well physically the day after making his first start Monday in 16 months following rehab from reconstructive right elbow surgery. Senzatela allowed two runs and four hits in three-plus innings. Manager Bud Black said Senzatela was scheduled to start again on Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

UP NEXT

LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 5.50 ERA) is set to start Wednesday for the Diamondbacks against Rockies's LHP Austin Gomber (5-10, 4.44 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach Brent Strom, center, confers with relief pitcher Blake Walston as catcher Jose Herrera looks on after Walston gave up an RBI single to Colorado Rockies' Brendan Rodgers in the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Blake Walston in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll pops out against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Angel Chivilli to end a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Angel Chivilli works against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach Tony Perezchica, left, congratulates Christian Walker as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home urn off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jaden Hill in the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar singles off Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery in the fifth inning of a baseball game ,Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman follows the flight of his solo home run off Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Blake Walston in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)