USA coach Mauricio Pochettino hit out at suggestions his team beat Uruguay with a “second string” side, branding the line of questioning “so disrespectful” after a stunning 5–1 victory in Tampa, Florida.
The Argentine was without several of his biggest names, including Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, yet the USA still dismantled the two-time World Cup winners for their biggest win over a non-CONCACAF opponent since 2012.
FINISHED THE YEAR WITH A BANG! 🎆#USMNT x @NewYorkLife pic.twitter.com/riJmNH9VAF
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) November 19, 2025
Since taking charge in September last year, Pochettino has often had to work without key players, most notably at the CONCACAF Gold Cup when Pulisic chose to skip the tournament. That led one reporter to ask whether this latest result came with a “second-string” national team on the pitch.
Pochettino did not hide his irritation.
“I do not want to be negative, but I hate that ‘no regular players’. What does that mean? It is the USA playing. It is the national team,” he said.
“Stop with that mindset. I hate to talk in this way. It is so disrespectful. It is so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys that were involved today.”
When the subject was raised a second time, the 53-year-old even threatened to cut the press conference short.
“I need to go to the dressing room, I come back and start again the press conference because it is like we were the opposite, losing 5–0, no, 5–1,” he added with a mix of frustration and sarcasm.
The result offers a major confidence boost for the United States ahead of next year’s World Cup, for which they are already qualified as co-hosts alongside Mexico and Canada. Pochettino’s side are now unbeaten in their last five matches, all against teams that have also booked their place at the tournament.
“What I really appreciate from the team and all the staff is the way that we start to connect together. That is most important,” he explained.
“We want to arrive at the World Cup and challenge the big teams. We start to feel the World Cup and the excitement.
“I think it is important for our fans, this type of victory and the result, because I think it is to push them to really believe in the team. We never doubted because we saw the quality of the players.”
On a night when the scoreboard and performance spoke loudly, Pochettino’s message was clear: every player called up to the national team deserves respect, regardless of who is missing.
