US coach says hosts will need to match Socceroos’ physicality as questions remain over Pulisic

Seattle: US coach Mauricio Pochettino says he envies the belief his Australian counterpart Tony Popovic has instilled in the Socceroos and has warned his players that they must match them physically if they are to win their World Cup clash in Seattle.

After a week of American eyes focused on star winger Christian Pulisic’s left calf, Pochettino also said his captain was no certainty to be fit for the match at Lumen Field where the winner will book themselves a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament.

Speaking at the pre-game media conference, the Argentine said Australia was a team of “good players, good organisation, good coach”. He said the US would look to play in a way that brought them success against Paraguay by putting pressure on the Socceroos. But he said he was also wary of how strong Australia were on the counter-attack in their 2-0 win over a “difficult” Turkey side.

Most importantly, he said, was that his side emulate in Seattle what the Socceroos displayed in that opening win.

“The most important thing is how we need to match the … mentality, that mindset that makes them very dangerous,” Pochettino said. “We need to believe in the same way that they believe, if we want to compete, because they compete really, really well.

“The mentality of the whole team, they create a great mentality. And it’s difficult to play [against] a team that really believes in what they are doing. That is what I like about the team.”

The match is expected to be physical, following a fiery encounter between the teams in a friendly in Colorado last October. US players this week revealed that Pochettino lambasted his team at halftime in that match, demanding they stand up for themselves after the Australians had pushed them around in the first 45 minutes.

US midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said the usually mild-mannered coach told his players: “We’re American. We don’t take shit”.

Pochettino on Friday described the Socceroos friendly as “one of the most difficult games we have played” and did not deny using the phrase, adding that it was a “tough conversation at halftime, but it was necessary”.

But he did not bite when pressed by a US-based reporter if he felt the Socceroos had crossed the line with their aggression in the Colorado game. Pochettino said in Seattle the US need to “play on the edge of that line, with no crossing”.

Pochettino revealed he was in the stands at the World Cup in Qatar watching his native Argentina when they were pushed to the end in their round of 16 clash against Australia, on their way to winning the World Cup.

He said he’d watched Australia improve and develop since. He singled out the use of “long passes” as one area the US would watch for saying “they know what they are doing” and not just booting it up field and hoping to find the feet of an attacker.

A decision would be made on the availability of Pulisic the evening before the match, Pochettino said. The 27-year-old, who starred for the US as they raced to a 3-0 opening game win over Paraguay came off at halftime of that clash complaining of tightness in his left calf. The US won 4-1.

Pulisic has trained away from the rest of the team all week and while his injury has improved he is no certainty to play in Seattle.

“He’s evolving. We will see. If not available tomorrow, he’ll be back for Turkey … he’s trying to be ready,” Pochetino said.

Popovic said he expected the AC Milan winger, who is nicknamed Captain America, will play if fit but that his side had prepared for all possibilities.

“We expect that Christian to definitely play if he’s available,” Popovic said. “And if he’s not, we’ve looked at some of the players that have been playing when he hasn’t been there and looking at the various options they may have. We’ll be prepared for that.”

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