Pochettino stated that while he is happy about the potential of young players in the U.S. pool, "we need to be careful" amid the buzz around Sullivan and Hall. The USMNT has scheduled a quartet of friendlies starting at the end of the month, with the roster to be announced on September 17. As such, there is much anticipation about what young players might get called up, including Sullivan and Hall. Pochettino stressed the importance of balancing expectations with a player's development, saying that young players need to be protected from the pressure of being touted as stars too early.
Pochettino also spoke about the need to eradicate bad habits in the program, including players deciding not to participate in competitive tournaments like the Gold Cup. He mentioned that the USSF recently announced a takeover of U.S. Youth Soccer, which is part of the alignment of youth and professional clubs with the U.S. Soccer Federation. Pochettino indicated that the USMNT will bring in their standard number of 26 players, including four goalkeepers, for the upcoming friendlies, and that some players who have just switched clubs might not be called in to give them more time to settle into their new surroundings.
The USMNT will face Peru on September 26, Chile on September 29, Mexico on October 3, and then Canada on October 6.