Mauricio Pochettino backs ‘high IQ’ players to block out World Cup hype

SEATTLE – US coach Mauricio Pochettino backed his “high IQ” players not to get carried away after they secured progress to the World Cup knockouts with Friday’s win over Australia and sent fans’ hopes soaring.

Thanks to an own goal and an Alex Freeman header, the US have reached the last 32 of the tournament they are co-hosting with a game to spare, winning two group matches for the first time since 1930.

The already-surging hype surrounding the US team’s prospects among the American public sky-rocketed following the 2-0 Group D win over the Socceroos in front of a jubilant crowd in Seattle.

But Pochettino, who even kept his recovering star man Christian Pulisic on the bench, said he trusts his team not to treat next week’s Turkey clash any differently.

“We need to go for the next one. To be sure that we are going to arrive in good condition, like we arrived in the last two games,” said the Argentinian, whose side are top with six points, ahead of Australia (three), Paraguay (three) and Turkey (zero).

His players and staff need to “keep being very tough with ourselves, to push to be better and better every day”, he added.

Pochettino, whose stellar career includes leading Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final and managing the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, said his players have the footballing nous to not let standards slip.

“That is part of being intelligent... For me, the IQ of the players that I have in my squad, they are so high over the average,” he added.

In the later match, Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0, meaning that the Americans have sealed first place in the group, and a theoretically easier route into the knockout rounds.

The US still have to play Turkey and Pochettino did not rule out making changes to his team for that clash.

“We had a lot of fatigued bodies in the first half both physically and mentally,” he said.

Many US fans will now be dreaming of a deep run into the World Cup that would defy most pundits’ expectations in a tournament stacked with favorites like Spain, France and Argentina.

Pochettino himself has dared supporters to dream of winning the World Cup, repeatedly asking “Why not us?“ in press conferences.

“Our fans, I’m so happy for them. I was saying Argentina have amazing fans but I think we are matching Argentina,” he said.

In the other match, Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron claimed an unwanted piece of football history after becoming the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation under new FIFA rules.

He was given his marching orders in first half stoppage time after covering his mouth while he appeared to direct a comment at Turkey’s Mert Muldur.

Paraguay were leading 1-0 when Almiron was dismissed following a VAR review.

FIFA announced in April that players who cover their mouths in confrontations with opponents will be given a red card. The initiative being rolled out at the World Cup is part of a broader effort to combat racism.

The new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been a prominent supporter of the new law.

“If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that,” he said. AFP, REUTERS

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