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LOS ANGELES — Every player wants to play and every coach wants to win. That’s nothing new. But sometimes players need to be protected from themselves, and that might be the case with the United States men’s national team ahead of their match against Turkey on Thursday.
Only one person has the responsibility of making sure the U.S. is still standing when the knockout games start on July 1. That is why head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to bench Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson isn’t conservative. It’s common sense.
Pochettino didn’t 100 percent confirm that those players wouldn’t see the field against Turkey on Thursday, but with the U.S. already securing first place in Group D, Thursday’s group-stage finale is all about maintaining rhythm, building confidence and escaping Los Angeles without any injuries.
Risking four starters already carrying yellow cards simply doesn’t fit into that equation.
“My decision will be easy for the guys with yellow cards,” Pochettino said Wednesday during a pre-match press conference. “It’s unnecessary to take a risk to pick up another yellow card and not be available for the next round.”
World Cup rules state that any players who accumulate two yellow cards across the three group-play games will receive an automatic one-match suspension for the next game. That means if any of the four players were to pick up another yellow card against Turkey, they would not be able to play in the do-or-die elimination game in the Round of 32.
The players, naturally, disagree with Pochettino’s decision.
Balogun has two goals, and remains in the hunt for the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s leading goal-scorer. Adams is the quarterback of the midfield. Richards and Robinson are key to the defense.
“I want to be on the field,” Adams said. “I don’t take any game for granted, especially in a World Cup. You don’t know when you’re going to have the opportunity to be back. So, I hope I’m on the field. I hope I can avoid getting a yellow card.”
Adams even argued he could walk the tightrope.
“You have to be smart in these scenarios and be able to manage the situations,” he said. “I did it last game, and I think I can do it again.”
But Pochettino pushed back on that way of thinking.
“If you feel like you’re an important player and you feel like you should play, what if you get an unfair yellow card?” Pochettino asked. “Tell me how you are going to approach the game? I want players who are going to eat the grass. I need to know the team is going to play tomorrow like it’s the World Cup final.”
That philosophy reveals the balancing act every World Cup manager faces.
Players thinking about avoiding yellow cards don’t play with complete freedom. They hesitate on tackles, think twice before pressing and subconsciously pull punches. That’s not the mindset Pochettino wants from a team trying to sharpen itself before the knockout rounds.
Pochettino even went deeper into his mindset. He said his calculations extend beyond just disciplinary concerns such as yellow cards. He also weighs lingering injuries, heavy workloads by players who went through a grueling 10-month long club season in Europe, and a player’s age and recovery.
Pochettino made sure to emphasize the importance of winning on Thursday, but said the goal is not just to win that match and secure all nine points in the group, but to arrive at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 1 with every weapon available to him.
English (US)