The United States will face Germany, this Saturday (8:30 pm), in Chicago, in what will be the last test before the start of the 2026 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino, US coach since September 2024, appeared relaxed at the press conference the day before, still excited by the 3-2 victory over Senegal, achieved five days earlier — the first World Cup victory of the year.
“Organizing a World Cup with a team like the United States is a huge challenge”, acknowledged the Argentine, explaining what motivated him to accept the project: the adrenaline of competing with the best and the desire to help a still young structure in the country so that football continues to grow. And facing Germany in Chicago, he guarantees, is just another opportunity to measure up against one of the best.
Pochettino highlighted that the friendlies held in 2026 against Belgium (2-5) and Portugal (0-2) were “excellent for improving and learning what we shouldn’t do and how we should approach the game”. The focus now is on the host's debut against Paraguay, on June 13th (3am), separated by a single try: the duel with Mannschaft.
The coach has, in fact, a recent memory at Soldier Field against a German opponent. In August 2023, then at Chelsea, he drew 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund on the same stage. “They are not good memories”, he admitted with a smile, not because of the result, “but because we allowed some situations that were not good”.
When managing the squad, Pochettino confirmed a loss: Chris Richards is again out due to ankle problems. The priority, he reinforced, is to balance competitiveness and prudence one week before the start: “We want to be competitive, but ensure that everyone remains in ideal conditions and that nothing negative happens.”
Brenden Aaronson, one of ten North American internationals to play in the Bundesliga, is available. The midfielder returned after missing training to marry his longtime girlfriend in South Jersey, in a ceremony planned almost two years ago. “The person always comes first”, stressed Pochettino, explaining that everything was articulated in advance. "We were all happy. He was happy. The family was happy. The wife is happy now."