- Gomez pointed to U.S.’s "abysmal performance"
- Points to concerning pattern of losses against top-30 opponents
- Analyst questions Pochettino’s selection process
Herculez Gomez didn’t hold back after the USMNT’s 2-0 defeat to كوريا الجنوبية, calling it an “abysmal performance” and pointing out that Mauricio Pochettino’s side continues to fall short against quality opposition.
“A very abysmal performance by the U.S. men’s وطني team vs South Korea,” Gomez said on his YouTube channel. “South Korea, [are] a very good team, very good. Technical, disciplined, often times vertical, but with an idea. You can see the difference in quality and in pace, in determination, and in just belief in the final third.”
He said the issue extends beyond one bad performance, pointing to a pattern of losses under Pochettino against teams ranked inside FIFA’s top 30.
“Big picture now – Mauricio Pochettino and his inability to win with this team,” he said. “It’s been almost a year… I’m not talking about top-10, I’m not talking about top-15, I’m talking about top-30 opponents. They have now lost seven times. The U.S men’s national team under Mauricio Pochettino has lost seven times to teams that are under the FIFA rankings from 30 to No. 1. Those types of teams – and we’re talking about المكسيك, we’re talking about Panama, كندا, Turkey, سويسرا, Mexico again, and now South Korea.”
Gomez also called out the Argentine for showing no tactical improvements and questioned his player selection as well.
“The USMNT has lost six home matches in a calendar year for the fourth time in its history,” Gomez said. “That’s worrying, absolutely. Let’s just start by saying, this is a bad team… Just in terms of what we’re seeing, player selection by Mauricio Pochettino, the tactical approach, or lack thereof.”
Gomez is concerned by the fact that the U.S. have yet to settle on a system.
“If I were to ask you right now, what this team plays [or] how they play, a lot of you guys wouldn’t be able to tell me the type of system that this team deploys,” he said. “That’s a reality, that’s how bad it’s been. And we can sit here and put a lot of the blame on Mauricio Pochettino, I believe he does share a lot of that blame.”
Gomez said the South Korea result confirmed concerns he’s had about the direction of the team under the Argentine manager.
“I’m glad that people are starting to see what I’ve seen for quite some time with Mauricio Pochettino with this national team,” Gomez said. ”There are holes, gaping holes. Mauricio Pochettino is not a good talent evaluator… He doesn’t have a good nose for selection. The tactical approach may work if you have a club team and year-round, you’re able to train these things. Here? Not at these camps, and not right now.”
Pochettino responded to critics on Monday, saying he’s more focused on building something for the كأس العالم as opposed to focusing on results in مباريات ودية.
“Everyone knows here inside that we have a plan and we stick with the plan,” he said. “I am the first guy that wants to win because you know very well that we are very competitive. But at the same time also, there is a process and a plan that we have to stick with. The players know very well what we are doing…
“We know what we are doing. We have experience, and I believe the important thing is to provide the possibility for players to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition.”
Following their 2-0 loss to South Korea, the USMNT will face اليابان next on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.
