{"id":383511,"date":"2025-11-16T18:34:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/383511\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T18:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:34:15","slug":"usmnt-coach-pochettino-laments-dangerous-fight-lauds-team-spirit-in-paraguay-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/383511\/","title":{"rendered":"USMNT coach Pochettino laments \u2018dangerous\u2019 fight, lauds team spirit in Paraguay win"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHESTER, Pa. \u2014 U.S. national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino consistently asks his players to show fight, both for minutes on the field and against opponents. He values competitiveness and fire deeply.<\/p>\n

In the dying minutes of the USMNT\u2019s 2-1 win over Paraguay Saturday night<\/a>, perhaps Pochettino got more than he asked for.<\/p>\n

U.S. defender Alex Freeman and Paraguay captain Gustavo G\u00f3mez wrestled for a loose ball before a throw-in just yards away from both benches. Neither player let up. Within seconds, both benches came together with shoves, grapples and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat situation is very, very dangerous,\u201d Pochettino said after the match. \u201cAnything can happen, I don\u2019t like this type of situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The end of USA vs. Paraguay got \ud835\udc12\ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc18 \u2694\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/LjkybUJA4B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Football (@brfootball) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So perhaps things went a bit overboard, as seemingly every player from both matchday squads joined the fracas. But the greater takeaway didn\u2019t stray far from Pochettino\u2019s desire for his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep it diplomatic \u2014 I was very happy with the way we supported each other,\u201d U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese said. \u201cThere were a few cheap shots thrown from their end, to be honest. But that\u2019s part of being a team, we\u2019ll be sticking up for each other no matter the moment. That\u2019s what it means to be a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defenders Tim Ream and Max Arfsten<\/a> felt the same. They all wanted to fight for each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows that guys are in it, willing to protect each other, wanting to get involved,\u201d Ream said. \u201cMake sure we\u2019re not going to be pushed around. \u2026 It\u2019s a point of pride for both teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arfsten added: \u201cPochettino always tells us to fight, fight, fight. I think we embody that. These games are gritty and physical, I think this plays into our identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pochettino himself entered the fray attempting to diffuse the situation, but ended up getting knocked into the camera bank. Thankfully, Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro saw and lent his friend a hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to get in front of my players to avoid all the pushing and Mauricio tried to do the same, but he fell in front of the camera,\u201d Alfaro said via a translator. \u201cI saw him and tried to help him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lucky that Alfaro saw me and helped me up,\u201d Pochettino said with a smile.<\/p>\n

Even before that altercation, the match was intense.<\/p>\n

The fight that Freese, Ream and Arfsten spoke of was on display for the majority of the match against a strong opponent. As the dust settles, the U.S. has now put together a four-match unbeaten run (three wins and a draw), with each game coming against opponents that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n

It is exactly what the USMNT wanted in scheduling friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay this window. Every duel was met with the venom of a World Cup match.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe needed this type of game and the next one is going to be the same, it\u2019s going to be competitive,\u201d Pochettino said. \u201cThese are not \u2018friendly\u2019 games. That is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goals from Gio Reyna \u2014 in his first appearance with the national team in nearly a year and a half \u2014 and Folarin Balogun sealed the win, as the USMNT started out of the 3-4-2-1 system that has been the driving force behind the run of form. (The group did move more to a 4-2-3-1 with second half subs to bring on Freeman and Diego Luna for Joe Scally and Sergi\u00f1o Dest.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Folarin Balogun\u2019s second-half strike clinched victory for the USMNT. (Emilee Chinn \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

This has been the most positive period of Pochettino\u2019s time as USMNT boss, building real momentum as the World Cup looms next summer. While there hasn\u2019t been much continuity in lineups with players in and out of camps, Pochettino has preferred this system since the turning point in September, and an identity and structure have come with the shift. Without the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie this window, the U.S. still had positive moments against Paraguay and came away with a positive result, if an imperfect performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are clicking now,\u201d Ream said. \u201cWhen you start to fully understand the ideas, the movements and the rotations, now all of a sudden you don\u2019t have to think. \u2026 It\u2019s a better understanding of what it takes to play this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time in a while, the USMNT feels like it has a foundation to build from. It\u2019s certainly a far cry from where the vibes around the pool was in the summer, after a 4-0 thrashing by Switzerland showed how far away the project was from being at the level they wanted. Ditto for the first 60 minutes against South Korea in September. But now, after four straight games and a little extracurricular physical activity to boot, the requisite fight is there.<\/p>\n

\u201cParaguay is very competitive and difficult to beat,\u201d Pochettino said. \u201cBig credit (to the players), but this is not enough. We are happy, but we need to keep going. We need to improve, improve, improve to arrive at the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n