Mauricio Pochettino Demands USMNT to Channel Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Uneveling His Bold Playing Style

If you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best. A simple, yet effective trick that is remarkably synonymous with the beautiful game. Having begun his journey as US Men’s National Team manager, Mauricio Pochettino also looks to be following this ploy as he has urged the Stars and Stripes to reinvent a bold playing style. And what better way to learn than by channeling their inner Argentina?

As an Argentinian himself, Pochettino not only sees Lionel Messi and Co. as the World Champions or recent Copa America victors; he also appreciates the collective effort they showcase. Hence, in order to instill similar traits within Team USA, the 52-year-old seems to have prepared a plan that he will implement within the team.

“We are going to be very demanding when we lose the ball,” said Mauricio during an interview ahead of facing Panama in the friendly clash on October 12. “We need to be desperate to recover as soon as possible but we need to work like a team in these moments. We need to show that we are a real team.”

The former Tottenham manager explained this by citing the example of Lionel Scaloni’s team, saying, “All the teams that won titles; you can see Argentina—winning the Copa America or the World Cup. When they have the ball, they play really well but when they don’t, they work like a team. They are really rough in their principles.”

However, it’s not always going to be hard for players. Rather than stressing over losing out on possession, Poch wants his team to regain balance on the pitch while relishing themselves. “We need to enjoy when we don’t have the ball and try to recover and be really strong defensively. We need to be very competitive. It’s not only to play nice football; to be very competitive—that for me, is the objective,” concluded the former Chelsea boss.

During his spells across various clubs, Pochettino has mostly focused on retaining possession and high-pressing. Hence, a similar attacking display can be expected from Christian Pulisic and Co. in their upcoming displays. However, it may not be limited to just watching matchdays and training clips of the Argentinian national team as the USMNT may even play a game against them!

Mauricio Pochettino hints at Argentina vs USMNT friendly!

Another way to learn from the best is of course, by testing out your skills against someone superior to you in all the ways. During an interview with TNT Sports Argentina, Mauricio Pochettino was asked about the possibility of facing his home country as a USMNT manager.

Interestingly, he replied, “We haven’t talked about it yet [the possibility of a friendly clash] but I would love to, of course, play against Argentina because it would be the chance to compete against the best team in the world today, right?”

If a matchup between the two nations were to take place, it would definitely be an exciting event to anticipate, wouldn’t it? Win, lose, or draw, neither of them will matter to Pochettino as he would be rather focused on learning the tactics of the rival country that lifted the Golden trophy almost two years ago.