The United States men’s national team is leaning on its national identity to fuel its play during the World Cup.
Sebastian Berhalter discussed manager Mauricio Pochettino’s message to the team when games start to get physical.
“‘We’re American, we don’t take s–t.’ That’s something he really drilled into us,” Berhalter told reporters on Tuesday. “Even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset. This is what we do, this is who we are and this is what America is about.”
Pochettino’s comes ahead of a match against Australia on Friday. The last time the United States squared off with the Aussie’s, things got physical, but the USMNT ultimately came out on top, 2-1.
“That game in Colorado was fun,” winger Tim Weah said, with a big grin. “That experience was fun. It was aggressive. I think from that game, we’ve changed a lot. We’ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.”
Based on Pochettino’s fiery speech to his team, it seems the United States is ready for another physical meeting.
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