By Ed White
INGLEWOOD, California, June 24 (Reuters) – United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said he won’t start any of his already-qualified team’s four players who have yellow cards when they face Turkey in Thursday’s World Cup clash.
The U.S. have already guaranteed top spot in Group D, and with Turkey already out, the match is a dead rubber. However, Pochettino said the players he picks need the hunger to win.
Although he has not made a final decision on whether to play forward Christian Pulisic, whoever he selects must have a desire to “eat the grass,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Argentine Pochettino has decided not to start with the four players on bookings — defender Chris Richards, wing back Antonee Robinson, midfielder Tyler Adams and forward Folarin Balogun — which means they are unlikely to feature.
The yellow cards are a problem not just because another booking would see players ruled unavailable, but also because it could cause them to be less aggressive on the pitch.
“I think that this is a little bit normal and an easy answer, you know, not to play them from the beginning,” Pochettino said. “Of course we are qualified (for the last 32). But for sure we want to win,” he added.
Pulisic has been managing a calf muscle problem and, even though he has been passed fit, Pochettino and the medical staff must decide whether to start him or bring him off the bench.
The stakes in Thursday’s match might not seem that high to an outside observer, but it was clear from both camps on Wednesday that they have other reasons to seek a victory.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella spoke at length and repeatedly about his side’s belief in their quality, despite losing both matches so far, and the pain that criticism from some fans and media has caused the players.
He sounded like a man with something to prove and Pochettino also noted that Turkey would be determined to get a result.
“It is an opportunity for them to play for pride, for their country, for their flag,” he said.
The U.S. come into the match in an unfamiliar position, having become a national sensation in a country that normally does not prioritise soccer except at a local level.
The U.S. team’s players like Pulisic appear in mainstream television ads and are becoming household names to millions.
Pochettino described the public support seen and felt by the players as being like the difference between “day and night” from the situation before the tournament.
(Reporting by Ed White, Editing by Ken Ferris)
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