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United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino is certainly feeling the love of coaching one of the host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And not only is he enjoying it, but Pochettino also made a pretty bold statement towards American fans.
Moments after the United States’ 2-0 victory over Australia at Seattle Stadium on Friday, Pochettino likened the team’s fans to one of the best fan bases in international soccer.
“Unbelievable. I was just saying yesterday that Argentina has incredible fans, but I think we are a match for Argentina,” Pochettino told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft. “It’s amazing, our fans. So happy for them.”
The Stars and Stripes certainly gave Seattle fans plenty of reasons to be loud and happy, but they were rowdy in a pretty unique way. The seismic recording that followed Alex Freeman’s goal showed fans at Seattle Stadium shaking the pitch as the Americans took a 2-0 lead.
This goal helped seal the victory for the United States, which in turn allowed them to advance to the round of 16. As the game ended, the Seattle Stadium crowd began singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” – and the team joined in the performance.
This isn’t the only way fans have shown their appreciation for the team, either. The crowd chanted his name and Pochettino appeared emotional at the time.
“Even though I’m not American, after the match I was emotional because the atmosphere was incredible. The fans were incredible,” Pochettino told reporters. “The warm welcome and the way they support us and celebrate everyone. They make it very emotional. And the players, they were very emotional too. I think it was an incredible, perfect connection and energy from this city and the team. They make us very proud.
“I think we wanted to connect with people. If we want to achieve good things, we need the support of our fans. The fans here in Seattle and around the country support us and we feel that support. It’s amazing for the team.”
Beyond Friday’s game, Seattle has also been synonymous with noisy environments over the years. In 2011, the crowd in Seattle made so much noise when Marshawn Lynch rushed for a game-clinching touchdown in the Seahawks’ playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints that it registered a slight shake. Something similar happened with the Seahawks over the past few playoffs, with the crowd noise during Rashid Shaheed’s return touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round also registering on the scale.
