Pochettino criticizes Balogun's expulsion and celebrates US qualification
The coach of the United States national team, Mauricio Pochettino, praised his team's performance after the 2-0 victory over Bosnia, this Wednesday (1), in the second phase of the World Cup. Even playing with one less player, the North Americans secured a place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Belgium.
After the match, Pochettino highlighted the unity and evolution of the group over the last few weeks.
"It's difficult to describe what we are feeling. The players were incredible and there is no easy game in a World Cup. The maturity of the team is impressive. The way we have grown in the last five or six weeks is very positive," he said.
The coach, however, criticized the expulsion of striker Folarin Balogun, who scored the first goal of the match. The player received a red card after stepping on defender Tarik Muharemovic's ankle in a move reviewed by VAR and will be suspended from the clash against Belgium.
While Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez considered the decision correct, Pochettino disagreed.
"For me, it was never a red card. Looking back on television, there was no intention of stepping on the opponent. It was a normal football action. It happened by accident, there was no intention. Therefore, in my opinion, it should never have been sent off", he said.
According to Pochettino, Balogun was dejected in the dressing room, but also celebrated the classification.
"He is sad, disappointed, but happy because we managed to advance. He needs to understand that this type of situation happens in football. I hope he can still help us again. I hope we can reach the next stage," he said.
With the result, Pochettino became the first coach of the United States men's national team to achieve three victories in the same edition of the World Cup.
After the final whistle, the Argentine celebrated alongside players and members of the coaching staff, as well as singing "Country Roads" with the fans present at the stadium.
On the field, the United States repeated the lineup used in the 4-1 rout of Paraguay in their debut, but encountered difficulties in the face of Bosnia's strong pressing during much of the game.
The scoring opened close to half-time, when Balogun took advantage of a defensive deflection to finish low and score his third goal of the World Cup.
Even with one player less, the Americans extended their lead with a free kick from Malik Tillman.
"It was incredible. Malik is an extremely talented player. We knew his quality from set pieces and he did exactly what we expected. I'm very happy for him", praised Pochettino.
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Source: CNN