As the World Cup begins, Mauricio Pochettino sets out his true expectations for the USMNT

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — U.S. men’s soccer team manager Mauricio Pochettino has said many times during his tenure that he wants his players to believe they can win this World Cup.

If it’s unrealistic, or derided by fans and media, he does not care. His job has been to make his players think they can do it, and use that belief to put extra fuel in the tank.

(For the record, reaching the quarterfinals is the bar most outsiders have set; and if you ask this reporter’s opinion, that’s correct.)

On Thursday, in his final remarks before Friday’s opening game against Paraguay (9 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62), Pochettino finally turned to a more realistic tone.

Asked how he defines success now, he started by saying “it’s difficult.” Then, acknowledging those who hadn’t heard his passionate stances in the past, he set out his explanation.

“I think for me, ‘successful’ is winning,” he said. “It’s win tomorrow, and win after tomorrow, and win. If we don’t arrive to the final and we don’t win the World Cup, to talk about ‘successful’ is, I don’t know — for me and my mindset.”

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Pochettino has heard from plenty of people in his 22-month tenure to date about the mountains American men’s soccer must climb, and the obstacles along the way. And now he knows firsthand how his players truly stack up against the world’s best, especially after games against powers Belgium, Portugal, Senegal, and Germany.

“If you say to me, oh, the conditions, or this [other thing], or we play against good national teams, I say, OK, OK,” he said. “But when we signed here, it’s because we wanted to come here, and to be involved in that unique event, but with the possibility to compete well, and believing in winning.”

Asked what he’ll say to his players before Friday’s kickoff, Pochettino joked that “I already spoke, I already talked — too much. I said [to them], don’t expect an unbelievable speech Friday.”

That’s mainly because in his opinion, they “don’t need an external motivation” at this point.

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“They need the motivational speech and inspiration when they need to go to train and improve in every single area,” he said. “And then tomorrow, it’s late. … If you are not ready, sorry guys, it’s impossible to perform. What were doing we were doing all this year and a half we prepared?”

But in a way, the manager gave that speech to the media from the podium on Thursday, in a news conference where he alternated freely between English and Spanish.

“The players, tomorrow, need to go on the field and feel in a bad way that they need to perform,” he said. “And to perform is to respect some rules, but also the most important is not to be disconnected with your emotional relationship with the game. And we were talking about that: they need to think tomorrow and play like they are a child, with no pressure, with no responsibility.”

He also said wants his players to “take it step by step,” and that “the key is not to look at the finish line before you actually get there.”

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Pochettino particularly applied that to the players he’ll summon from the bench, a key part of any manager’s strategy with five substitutes allowed per game.

“How many players aren’t starters early in the World Cup, but end up big figures in the tournament?” he said. “It’s not just about how you start, but how you continue and how you finish.”

Perhaps his most revealing words came when he opened up about what he has learned from the players, for as much as they have learned from him.

“I really admire the players’ mindset,” Pochettino said. “I don’t think they should be underestimated, because their emotional intelligence is very high — well above the global average. They become great athletes because they possess that capacity and talent, and they develop that mental strength. I tell you, they are all intelligent.”

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He has also learned the different ways required to connect with the 26 players on this squad, and the over 70 he has had in U.S. camps over his tenure.

“The trick is getting to know each individual so you can communicate effectively, finding the right frequency,” he said. “You realize that, ultimately, they all feel the same things, face the same struggles, and have the same needs. It’s about finding the right frequency to connect with each personality. They are giving us so much, and honestly, we are really enjoying the whole group.”

As nice as it was to hear Chris Richards declare himself “ready” on Wednesday, that only counted for so much without his boss’s blessing. Pochettino gave it on Thursday, calling the key centerback “available.” He also said all 26 players on the roster are fit to play.

But he backed off saying whether Richards has the green light to start.

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“Chris is available to be selected, and then we will decide if he’ll start from the beginning of the game or is on the bench,” Pochettino said. “But I think we celebrate the job that our medical staff and performance [staff] did — worked really hard to recover Chris, and recover some other players that arrived with minor things. No big issues. … It’s a really good feeling to have 26 players available to be selected.”

Pochettino said he knows what his starting lineup will be, but signaled that he hasn’t told the players. That includes the goalkeepers, the subject that has been second to Richards’ health in the most-discussed rankings.

“No, I’m not going to tell you,” he said when invited to. “But I already decided. Only if something happens before the game [would it change].”

Asked if the players know, he said: “I don’t know if they know. Because if they know, you are going to start to call them.”

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The room laughed with him at that. Such leaks are a tradition in other countries, including Pochettino’s native Argentina, and England where he worked for many years. It isn’t in the United States, though, at least not yet.

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