U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino downplayed political tensions ahead of the Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Panama, emphasizing the need for the team to focus solely on the competition. With recent comments from President Trump regarding Panama's sovereignty creating a political backdrop, Pochettino insisted that the players should remain proud and concentrated on their performance. He made clear that their aim is to win against Panama while maintaining a sporting spirit, and his counterpart Thomas Christiansen also showed reluctance to engage with the political discourse.
I think it's a big mistake if we talk about politics because I think people [aren't] waiting for us to talk in this way.
We need to play for our country, but always on the pitch trying to be better, to beat the opponent.
We want to destroy Panama, we want to destroy the next one, and we want to win but destroy.
The political situation, it's not my business; if you want to talk about football systems or tactics, I'm glad to.
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