Pochettino hails USMNT 'togetherness' in Paraguay victory

The United States men’s national team began the November international break in convincing fashion with a win over a solid Paraguay outfit, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino was buoyed by what he saw on the night.

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Speaking after the match, Pochettino praised the way the U.S. asserted control and played with purpose on both sides of the ball.

“What we need to do is create the platform for our players to perform and you saw today that all of our players showed their quality to play entertaining football,” he said after the match.

“I think we created chances, we were better at being a team that is very competitive and difficult to beat which is great.”

The display, he said, aligned with the identity he wants the team to build. But Pochettino was quick to add that one strong performance does not define where the U.S. needs to go next.

“Sometimes though that is not enough,” he said. “We need to keep going, we need to keep improving.

"We need to arrive at the World Cup in our best shape, our best form, and show that the team is not about 1–2 names, it is about the team, the collective and the togetherness.”

– Sunday, 16 November 2025

With the win, the USMNT continued its solid run of form under Pochettino, going unbeaten in their last four friendlies, all against World Cup-qualified opponents, winning three of the four.

📸 Vincent Carchietta - 2025 Getty Images