The USMNT is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup this summer, and they have been in good form in the buildup. With matches coming up next month, midfielder Cristian Roldan believes one key game in 2025 switched things up for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT Turned Up After Getting Kicked
The United States took over Australia in a Friendly match last year and won. The game is now credited with helping the squad become a unit and work together.
Roldan recalled the match while speaking with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard on the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast, saying it played a key role in bringing the squad together. He claimed that the Australian players were constantly kicking Christian Pulisic during the match, which riled up the USMNT stars.
The Seattle Sounders star said that Pochettino brought it up in camp, questioning the players about why they were waiting to get charged up. He wanted to know why the players were waiting for someone from the team to be kicked before they were charged up and said:
“I remember, vividly, and I think this is where it flipped… Australia game. Christian Pulisic gets kicked a couple times. We got our [expletive] kicked in the first 45 minutes of just, getting fouled and not bringing it. Next camp [Mauricio Pochettino] shows the film sessions and he just said ‘why are we waiting to get punched in the face? Why are we the second team to, like, finally kick someone or win this duel?’ And I think that’s when it switched.”
Roldan added that the comments and the match changed the mood in the camp, and everyone wanted to prove their worth physically as well. He added that the bench players were also keen on lunging into tackles, and the culture in the camp had flipped.
“You see players like [Malik] Tillman who is probably more of a luxury player — a number 10 — going into tackles in training and that’s when I’m like oh my god. That’s when I think the culture really flipped at least from my time being there.”
This newfound aggression has arguably become the major metric for roster selection as Pochettino finalizes his World Cup squad. With heavyweights like Belgium and Germany on the upcoming schedule, the USMNT must prove that this culture shift is a permanent tactical evolution rather than a temporary reaction to a rough friendly.
The USMNT will face Belgium and Portugal in friendlies next month. They also have Senegal and Germany lined up in the warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.
