Poch defends U.S. players: 'Criticize me,' not them

""I prefer that the people criticize me, but don't touch the player," Pochettino said. "I hope in the future, criticize me, criticize me, but let the player play free, go and perform." Guided by goals on Tuesday from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun, the mid-week result represented a turnaround for the manager that had suffered back-to-back defeats -- and gone seven games without a win -- after Saturday's loss to South Korea. Heading into the match against Japan, Pochettino had overseen losses in six of his 11 previous matches."

""[We've needed] time because the players need to know us, the staff need to know us, we need to adapt to them, we need to adapt to the player," said the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur coach. "We need to know the player...that is a big picture that we talk [about], but sometimes people want the result tomorrow, and why you don't call this [player] or call another. "[What's] most important is the process. The most important today, [is it about] winning or lose? No, it's about the process. It's about the player really believing in what we are doing. That they respect us, how we respect them. We are capable to build that relationship...give time to the process and the process is going to work, for sure.""

Mauricio Pochettino defended his players and asked that criticism be aimed at him rather than the roster, urging fans to let players perform freely. The United States beat Japan 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio, with goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun. The win halted a run of poor results that included back-to-back defeats and a seven-game winless stretch, with six losses in his previous 11 matches. Pochettino called for patience with his project, emphasizing adaptation, relationship-building, and a focus on process over immediate results. Zendejas's start strengthened his case for next year's World Cup squad.

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