SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mauricio Pochettino does not want to hear any talk about the U.S. being favored in its World Cup Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Yes, the Americans won their group by playing impressive soccer in the first two matches and clinching first place with one game to spare, while their opponents needed to win on the final day to squeeze through as a third-place finisher.
Yes, they will again enjoy raucous support from an audience packed into an NFL stadium and take inspiration from the knowledge that some 25 million will be watching at home and at large gatherings.
Yes, their player portfolios are beefier than their counterparts. They are well-rested, relatively healthy and hungry to continue elevating the sport in this country after an intoxicating two weeks.
By all indications, the U.S. is the clear favorite to win at Levi’s Stadium and advance to the Round of 16 Monday against Belgium or Senegal in Seattle.
Not so fast, Pochettino warned Tuesday.
“The last few days, [look] how difficult it was for everyone, you know?” he said. “I think it’s probably better to talk [about favorites] after, no?”
He then listed Paraguay upsetting Germany, Morocco beating the Netherlands and Japan giving Brazil fits.
“We need to be careful when we say, ‘OK, one is favorite and the other one, no,'” he added.
If he can’t admit to his team being the favorite, perhaps this: The U.S. is best positioned to win its first knockout match in 24 years and second in its inglorious history. It will have to do.
This much, at least, rings true: The U.S. has not felt this good about its lot in life since entering the knockout stage at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. The foe was a regional rival, Mexico, which had won its group. A second-place team, the U.S. prevailed, 2-0, and scared the daylights out of eventual runner-up Germany in the quarterfinals before falling.
They also liked their chances at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before losing to Ghana in extra time. Every other knockout encounter, though, was an uphill battle in which almost everything had to go right; it certainly did not.
“It’s a World Cup,” star forward Christian Pulisic said. “You’re never going to get the so-called favorite winning every single time. This is soccer. This is the way things go. You can defend all game and win in the penalty kick shootout; that’s the beauty of the game. So we have to be ready for whatever’s to come. We don’t think it’s going to be easy, by any means.”
Ah yes, the shootout — the great equalizer when there is a talent imbalance. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, the teams will play another mandatory 30 and, if there’s still no winner, they’ll settle matters with a set of 12-yard attempts.
While they’ve prepared in recent weeks for such scenarios, the Americans are, first and foremost, aiming to impose their will and reinstitute the confident soccer that highlighted Group D victories over Paraguay and Australia. (With a reserve lineup for an inconsequential group finale, the last-second loss to Türkiye was mostly forgiven.)
“We know that how we’ve played so far throughout the tournament has been very successful,” center back Chris Richards said, “so we’re going to try to stick to that.”
Richards is among four players expected to rejoin the starting lineup after sitting out the Türkiye match to protect against a yellow-card suspension. The others are left back Antonee Robinson, defensive midfielder Tyler Adams and striker Folarin Balogun.
Pulisic said he is ready to start again after recovering from a calf injury. He missed the second half of the opener, sat out the second match and subbed in the third game.
Three reserves are battling injuries, with defender Auston Trusty (ankle) the most likely to be in uniform. Defender Mark McKenzie (foot) and defensive midfielder Cristian Roldan (quadriceps) are doubtful.
In all likelihood, Pochettino will summon the same starters who tore apart Paraguay with three first-half goals en route to a 4-1 triumph June 12 in Inglewood, California.
“We feel we have the confidence to perform well, and of course, the belief we can win, but with full respect” for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pochettino said. “If we want to win and go to the next stage, we need to perform at our best.”
On multiple occasions Tuesday, he said his team will approach the match like the World Cup final, adding with a smile that, if the team advances, “the next one is [also] going to be the final of the World Cup.”
With half the roster having experienced World Cup knockout play four years ago, the U.S. seems much better prepared for the higher stakes.
“Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure at this minute?” captain Tim Ream said. “It feels very different this time around.”
Playing at home and facing heightened expectations, Pochettino has stressed to his players the importance of remaining calm. He credited an old friend, Jorge Valdano, a fellow Argentine and a 1986 World Cup champion.
“I remember one day talking [to him] and he said to me, ‘Mauricio, relaxation brings concentration,'” Pochettino recalled. “They need to be relaxed and not to think and play with intuition and with the confidence that all we were preparing [for] is going to appear on the field.”
From near and far, the U.S. has received rave reviews for the way it went about the first two matches. Pochettino’s mission is to keep it going.
“Look: In soccer and in football an unpredictable thing can happen,” he said. “We try to reduce that, but we need to approach it like we were approaching the last few games. It’s going there and trying to play free and with responsibility.”
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