Mauricio Pochettino and Chris Richards focus on the USMNT’s defense as Portugal’s stars loom

MARIETTA, Ga. — No one with the U.S. men’s soccer team needed to be told how bad the defense was Saturday in a 5-2 loss to Belgium. But the players weren’t going to hide from the truth as they returned to work Monday morning.

“The thing that we need to improve is to be much better in the defensive phase — the whole team,” manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “I think we provided too much time to Belgium to build their attack, and it was also too easy to translate [move] the ball from their box to our box without [our] aggression.”

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As he did Saturday night, Pochettino talked plenty about what he thought went well against Belgium. Still, as he looked toward Tuesday’s game against star-studded Portugal (7 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62), he kept his focus on the other side of the field.

“The combination we used the other day against Belgium resulted in a sound offensive structure, enabling us to attack and pose a real threat to any opponent — even a team like Belgium,” Pochettino said. “But the other side of the coin is concerning, because that’s what gives you defensive solidity, no? And we didn’t have it.”

He cited a recent quote from Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti, who’s in his first national team job after winning piles of trophies in 30 years in the club game.

“The team that will win the World Cup is the one that concedes the fewest goals, not the one that scores the most,” Ancelotti said.

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Pochettino called it “a very interesting reflection — the players need to listen to that.”

Centerback Chris Richards, who watched the Belgium game from the bench while nursing a knee injury, signaled he was listening.

“I think it’s best that we learn these lessons now before the World Cup, [rather] than us getting there and learning the hard way,” he said, later adding that “you can put whatever tactics out there, but if the guys don’t go out there and show you that they’re going to do it, you can only go so far.”

It was news on its own that Richards was at the podium. Players who speak on a game day eve are usually expected to play, and he confirmed he’s ready to go.

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“I’m fine,” he said. “I had a bad tackle in my last game with [Crystal] Palace, and so just a little bit of knee pain, knee soreness. But I’ve been training individually all week, and I’m available for [Tuesday].”

Pochettino said the coaches “didn’t expect” Richards to be in game shape by now, but since he is, they’ll assess how much he can play.

There was talk of tactics, too, especially Pochettino’s return to a four-defender formation after success with a three-centerback lineup in the fall.

Richards offered some insights into the differences between the two, having played in both for the U.S. and club teams.

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“I think at the club level, depending on which of the three you are, the outside centerbacks can be more aggressive, and the center one is kind of the safety, per se,” he said. “I think when you’re playing in a four [back line] you have to be a bit more tactically disciplined, you probably need to stay more central and protect the middle”

With the national team, he said, “I think it’s tough, because we do switch sometimes here and there. But I think the number one thing is that you need to make sure that you protect the middle.”

Midfielder Johnny Cardoso returned to his club home in Madrid on Monday night after a minor leg issue limited him to a pre-planned 45 minutes against Belgium.

It was less time than Pochettino hoped Cardoso would play, and the feeling was no doubt mutual given how long Cardoso was out of the picture.

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“I think he was good during 45 minutes,” Pochettino said. “I am happy with his performance, commitment, and intention to play.”

He called the situation “a little bit unlucky,” and “a little bit of a shame” that Cardoso couldn’t “show his real quality” on the field.

Asked if he had seen enough to fairly judge Cardoso’s World Cup credentials, Pochettino said the injury wouldn’t be held against him.

“We were talking [about] not to pay attention to this type of thing to assess [his place] in the moment that we will give the [World Cup] roster,” he said.

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There’s been speculation for a while that Pochettino will return to coaching a European club when his U.S. contract ends after the World Cup. Another round has come along lately, linking him with England’s Tottenham Hotspur and Spain’s Real Madrid.

Asked Monday if he has talked with either club, Pochettino gave a direct “no,” but had a lot more to say afterward.

“At the moment, we are very focused, fully focused, here on the World Cup,” he said. “Everyone knows that I am committed with the national team here, and I think it’s not a point to talk about the future. … But who knows what is going to happen?”

He surprisingly floated the possibility of staying on with the U.S., though that is not expected.

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“Why not, if we are happy and the [U.S. Soccer] federation is happy,” Pochettino said. “You can never say never.”

For now, he added, “I think the most important [thing] now is to be focused on [Tuesday vs. Portugal] and on the World Cup, and to try to improve. … Of course, the rumors are there, but that is our business — we need to accept these type of rumors.”