US victory over Paraguay was built on team togetherness, not individual effort: Pochettino

INGLEWOOD, California, June 12 : U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters his team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup opener was the result of a team-first approach rather than the efforts of individual players.It was the first time the U.S. had scored four goals in a World Cup match, with tw


Sport

US victory over Paraguay was built on team togetherness, not individual effort: Pochettino

US victory over Paraguay was built on team togetherness, not individual effort: Pochettino

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D – United States v Paraguay – Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, U.S. – June 12, 2026 U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino reacts REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

US victory over Paraguay was built on team togetherness, not individual effort: Pochettino

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D – United States v Paraguay – Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, U.S. – June 12, 2026 U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino looks on REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Read a summary of this article on FAST.

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

INGLEWOOD, California, June 12 : U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters his team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup opener was the result of a team-first approach rather than the efforts of individual players.

It was the first time the U.S. had scored four goals in a World Cup match, with two of those belonging to forward Folarin Balogun, who became the first U.S. player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournament.

However, despite excellent performances from the likes of Balogun, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, Pochettino preferred to praise the joint efforts of the squad as well as team staff. 

“It was the collective approach,” he said, adding that the team soaked up the energy of the fans.

Guess Word

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time


Buzzword

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters


Mini Sudoku

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser


Mini Crossword

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge


Word Search

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can


Show More


Show Less

“Amazing, they were amazing. We can do amazing things if the fans are in this way.”

The comfortable victory showcased the U.S. team’s attacking power, but there was concern about Pulisic’s fitness after he was substituted at halftime due to a calf knock.

Pochettino said that while the team were happy with the win they had to remember it was only the start of the tournament. 

Being able to train together for weeks before the World Cup had allowed coaches to work with the players instead of just selecting the team, which is usually the case when they only have a few days before most internationals, said Pochettino. 

The U.S. will also face Turkey and Australia in Group D. 

Source: Reuters

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Inbox

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Whatsapp

Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.

Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST

FAST

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *