MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — United States males’s nationwide group coach Mauricio Pochettino hailed Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas as “top-of-the-line on the planet” forward of Sunday’s Gold Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. and the Ticos.
Pochettino managed Navas when the 2 have been at Paris Saint-Germain through the 2021-22 season, a marketing campaign that noticed PSG declare a home double. That season additionally coincided with the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, although Navas nonetheless managed 26 league and cup appearances.
Navas now performs for Argentine facet Newell’s Outdated Boys, the identical membership the place Pochettino started his taking part in profession. Now Pochettino will likely be making an attempt to cease Navas from main Costa Rica into the semifinals.
“My reminiscence with Keylor, superb as a result of I believe [back] after we met there at Paris Saint- Germain, and I believe at all times we admire him, his mentality and his high quality,” Pochettino stated throughout his pre-match information convention. “It may be a unbelievable second to share tomorrow with him. He is an excellent participant, he is an excellent keeper, top-of-the-line on the world. And sure, clearly it’s a pleasure to see him and hope that we’ve got higher luck than him and Costa Rica”
Pochettino added that he’s anticipating a tough match towards Costa Rica, who’ve lengthy proved a tough foe for the USMNT. The U.S. holds an all-time document of 20-17-6 towards the Ticos . That does not determine to vary towards a Costa Rica facet now managed by former Mexico supervisor Miguel Herrera.
“Watching video of them that we’ve got is we anticipate them to be aggressive,” stated Pochettino. “We anticipate them to struggle, to battle for every part, and that is the way in which most of those video games go. So the group video games have been a pleasant style of what’s to come back, however this sport is ramped up exponentially. So we anticipate it to be a really powerful bodily opponent that so long as we match and exceed their aggressivity, we will likely be all proper.”
That battle figures to be particularly intense in midfield the place Pochettino has a range dilemma on his arms. Johnny Cardoso did not practice with the group on Saturday as a consequence of an ankle harm, with Pochettino saying that he’ll “see if he could be on the bench or not.”
That doubtless leaves Pochettino to choose from Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter and Luca de la Torre. He did not rule out utilizing all three.
“I believe we’ve got midfielders that may play collectively,” Pochettino stated. “Then perhaps we will use the three or two, the totally different mixture gamers … This is among the potentialities.”
However Pochettino voiced has confidence in his younger facet, one shorn of many first alternative gamers as a consequence of harm, membership commitments and fatigue.
“Sure, we’re prepared,” he stated. “We’ll put together very well. And now tomorrow is our present.”
Costa Rica will likely be lacking their prime scorer within the event, striker Manfred Ugalde, and beginning wingback Joseph Mora as a consequence of yellow card accumulation whereas Jeyland Mitchell, Ariel Lassiter and Warren Madrigal are out with accidents.
