Pochettino Pleased with USA's Performance in 3-0 Win Over Costa Rica

Mauricio Pochettino's youthful USA squad secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in a friendly match, with goals from Brian White, Caden Clark, and Patrick Agyemang.

Mauricio Pochettino expressed his satisfaction after the United States' youthful squad secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in a friendly match in Florida on Wednesday. This win marked the culmination of the team's January training camp.

The US team, comprising mostly Major League Soccer-based players, demonstrated confidence and skill, with goals from Brian White, Caden Clark, and Patrick Agyemang sealing the win at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando. This friendly was the second of two back-to-back matches for the US, following their 3-1 win over Venezuela on Saturday.

Pochettino utilized these friendlies as an opportunity to assess the US talent pool, as most of his Europe-based players were unavailable due to the matches falling outside the official FIFA window for international fixtures. The US coach now faces a welcome selection headache after witnessing the promising performances of his youthful squad.

The convincing win over Costa Rica provided Pochettino with valuable insights into the abilities of his players, and he will now have to make some tough decisions when selecting his team for future matches. With the US talent pool showcasing its depth and potential, Pochettino's squad appears to be in good hands moving forward.

The USA secured a convincing 3-0 victory, with White opening the scoring on 21 minutes. He latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Diego Luna before firing a low-angled shot into the bottom corner. Montreal's Clark swept in the second goal on 77 minutes, and Charlotte striker Patrick Agyemang blasted in a third in the 90th minute.

USA coach Mauricio Pochettino was pleased with his team's performance, particularly given the makeshift nature of the squad. “When I watch after 90 minutes, it's not like we've had one or two weeks working together - it looks like we are working for six months,” Pochettino told broadcaster TNT after the win.

Pochettino was impressed by the team's attitude and adaptability, saying, “That is what pleased me the most, because the performance, the attitude, the capacity to adapt to the new ideas, that is amazing.” The Argentine coach will now turn his attention to the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Panama in Los Angeles in March.

Big W to wrap up January camp! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NIJFhJwiBA

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) January 23, 2025

Pochettino hinted that several players from the January friendlies could now force their way into the reckoning for the Nations League finals. “I think we now have too many players in our mind,” he joked. He emphasized that the players' performances in the friendlies would be taken seriously, saying, “When we need to pick the squad in March, for sure in our mind are going to be many players that work here.”

Pochettino had warned the players beforehand that their performances in the friendlies would be crucial in determining their future involvement with the team. “I told them from the beginning that they need to take these two games very seriously because if they perform, they will have the possibility to show us in the future,” he said.