‘A good signal for us’ – Antonee Robinson shines, Malik Tillman shows versatility and Miles Robinson struggles: Winners and losers from USMNT loss to Germany
CHICAGO — When the U.S. Men’s National Team conceded just over one minute into Saturday’s World Cup send-off game, manager Mauricio Pochettino’s first reaction was, of course, frustration. You never want to concede early. Not even in friendlies or, in Pochettino’s preferred term, “non-official games”.
His second reaction, though? Excitement. Now, with that goal, he and his team were given a chance to do something: learn.
“I was thinking that we were lucky,” he said. “Because to face a situation where we concede a goal to a team like Germany with top players? It’s an amazing challenge for us to see how we react, how we show character, how we show togetherness, and how we play under pressure.
“In the moment, I was sad, I was upset, of course, but after that, it changed, because I think it’s lucky and good for us to see the reaction of the team.”
Pochettino got what he wanted, even if the match itself ended in a 2-1 defeat. The U.S. did react, getting on the front foot throughout the first half against a top-10 team in the world. They got their goal eventually, thanks to a lightning strike from Antonee Robinson that ignited the crowd in Chicago. The U.S., to their credit, were unlucky not to get a second. Germany, though, were talented enough to get theirs, ultimately holding on to a 2-1 win after mass substitutions in the second half.
Friendlies, or non-official games, aren’t always about results, though. Pochettino prefers them, of course, but he also enjoys responses. He got one on Saturday in the final pre-World Cup tuneup. Now, with the real games on the horizon, he feels his team is more ready than before, and that’s the point of these games, in the end.
“I think it was an even game. If you see the stats, there were similar stats and some stats for us,” Pochettino said. “I am so happy with the commitment and how the team was thinking…I think we need to be happy…I think it was a good signal for us.”
GOAL breaks down the Winners and Losers from Soldier Field…
