Former United States men's national team goalkeeper Brad Friedel has dismissed speculation regarding head coach Mauricio Pochettino's potential contract extension as a "non-event," urging focus on the upcoming World Cup knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Friedel Criticizes US Media Frenzy
Friedel, who was in goal for the USMNT's last World Cup knockout victory—a 2-0 win over Mexico in 2002—told the Express that the timing of the contract chatter was peculiar. "A story about him possibly getting another four-year contract at US soccer. It's just a non-like, but I mean it's a news event, because if he does it, fantastic. But he's just focused on Bosnia [right now]," Friedel said.
He added that Pochettino's irritation with the US media after the 3-2 group-stage defeat to Turkiye was understandable, noting that the media had "not been very kind to him for long periods of time." Pochettino had rotated his squad heavily for that dead-rubber match, making nine changes to the starting lineup.
Pochettino's Squad Rotation Praised
Friedel lauded Pochettino's management of the squad rotation against Turkiye. "It was managed perfectly," he said. "One of the most difficult things when you're managing in a tournament environment is, how do you keep the players that aren't getting minutes on board as much as possible? So, he had an opportunity to play almost all of them."
He highlighted the decision to start goalkeeper Matt Turner, calling it a "golden opportunity" to give him tournament minutes. While acknowledging defensive mistakes that led to three goals conceded, Friedel noted that the US also created numerous chances.
Prediction for USMNT vs Bosnia
Looking ahead to Wednesday's knockout match, Friedel predicted a tougher contest than US fans might expect. "I think this is going to be a much harder match than I think the US fans think," he said, adding that Bosnia would likely be direct, especially early on. However, if Bosnia tries to play out from the back, Friedel believes it will play into US hands. His score prediction: "US two to one, hoping that it will be much, much more comfortable than that."
Friedel concluded by emphasizing the difficulty of knockout matches and the importance of Pochettino's experience, having managed stars like Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain. "What I would say is the United States would be incredibly lucky to have him for another four-year period," he stated.
