No stars, just teamwork, Pochettino salutes US squad after World Cup victory

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino deflected praise from individual stars after the co-hosts' resounding 4-1 World Cup opening victory against Paraguay, insisting the triumph was a unified team effort. The US team delivered an electrifying performance in Los Angeles, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Gio Reyna adding a late stunner, alongside an early own goal from Paraguay.

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It’s not only to talk about some names, it’s about the collective. I think the team was amazing. Not only the starting 11 but all the players around and on the bench.

"It's not only to talk about some names, it's about the collective," Pochettino stated at his post-game conference. "I think the team was amazing. Not only the starting 11 but all the players around and on the bench."

When pressed about the performance of key player Christian Pulisic, Pochettino reiterated his stance on collective achievement. "You push me to talk about names, and it's about the team, it's a collective performance. Of course, he was amazing," he said, before proceeding to name and praise nearly every member of the US lineup.

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You push me to talk about names, and it’s about the team, it’s a collective performance. Of course, he was amazing.

Pochettino also expressed deep gratitude for the 70,000 fans in attendance. The atmosphere at the Los Angeles Stadium was electric, countering some media narratives suggesting lower public engagement due to other ongoing sporting events. "On behalf of the whole team, massive thank you to the fans, because the energy that they relate to the team was amazing," he said.

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On behalf of the whole team, massive thank you to the fans, because the energy that they relate to the team was amazing, and we can do amazing things with if the fans are in this way.

Looking ahead, Pochettino acknowledged the team's strong start but cautioned against complacency. "We are so happy, but this is only the start," he said. "It's still two games to play. We need to enjoy this start to the tournament, but know that we need to keep going and try to improve and try to do better in the next game, because all the games are very competitive."

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We are so happy, but this is only the start. It’s still two games to play. We need to enjoy this start to the tournament, but know that we need to keep going and try to improve and try to do better in the next game, because all the games are very competitive.