In a highly anticipated pre-World Cup friendly, the United States will face Uruguay on Tuesday night, pitting Mauricio Pochettino against his mentor, Marcelo Bielsa. Pochettino, who took over as the U.S. head coach last year, expressed profound admiration for Bielsa, the Uruguayan coach who discovered him as a 13-year-old. ‘My respect for him is immense,’ Pochettino stated. ‘He was pivotal in my career as a player and inspired me to become a coach. Tomorrow will be both a joy and a challenge, as his teams are always formidable.’ The two first crossed paths at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina, where Pochettino played under Bielsa from 1990 to 1992. Since then, Bielsa has managed national teams like Argentina and Chile, as well as several clubs, while Pochettino has led top-tier teams such as Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. The U.S. team, ranked 16th globally, enters the match fresh off a 2-1 victory over Paraguay, while 15th-ranked Uruguay drew 0-0 against Mexico. Pochettino plans to rotate his lineup due to the short recovery time and weather changes. The U.S. remains unbeaten in their last four friendlies against World Cup-bound teams. Pochettino, who assumed leadership after a disappointing Copa America exit, emphasized the importance of building a cohesive team strategy. ‘You don’t change the captain mid-storm,’ he remarked. ‘You need time to establish your approach.’ Following this match, the U.S. will play two more friendlies in March before finalizing their World Cup roster. In other news, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Dan Helfrich, former Deloitte Consulting CEO, as its new chief operating officer, effective January 1.
Pochettino faces off against mentor Bielsa when US meets Uruguay in friendly
