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Mauricio Pochettino celebrated the U.S. Men's National Team's fourth goal against Paraguay with his players -Credit:Alex Livesey - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Having made his FIFA World Cup debut for the U.S. Men’s National Team, following in the footsteps of his dad Gregg Berhalter, Sebastian has now opened up on life under head coach Mauricio Pochettino as they look to make it two wins from two against Australia.
The USMNT comfortably beat Paraguay on June 12, beating the South American nation 4-1 in what was arguably their best performance to date under Argentinian boss Pochettino.
A second-half substitute, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian came on to earn his 14th cap - all of which have come under Pochettino.
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Sebastian Berhalter made his FIFA World Cup debut against Paraguay -Credit:Erin Chang/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, ahead of the USMNT’s second group game against the Socceroos, who beat Türkiye 2-0 in their opening game, Sebastian was asked about the mindset Pochettino has instilled within his team, to which he replied, “One, is that we're American. We don't take s—. And I think that's something that he really put in.
“And even though he's Argentinian, he has that mindset of, like, look, this is what we do, you know, and this is who we are, and this is what America's about. So I think he just, even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we're about, and he really drills that into us, and I think that's something that has helped us this last cycle.”
The 25-year-old went on to heap praise on Pochettino, expressing his gratitude towards the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss. “From day one, he believed in me, and I don't think you get that a lot from a coach, especially with his quality,” he said.
“And, day one, going to the Gold Cup, we spoke, and we had a good conversation, and he just said, ‘I saw something in you before, playing in Vancouver,’ and that's all I can ask for, a coach that believes in you.
“And he's been amazing with me. Since day one, like I said, just believed in me and wanted me to get better and pushed me and knowing when to be harder on me and even not calling me in (in October) was 100 percent the right decision at that moment, and we had a good conversation about that, and he's someone that I feel like has my best interest, and I'm super grateful and thankful for him, honestly.”
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Guided by a coach the players clearly stand behind, as was shown as they collectively celebrate Gio Reyna’s fourth for the USMNT against Paraguay, it also appears that Pochettino is ensuring everyone remains grounded moving forward.
“I think it is one game, and we know that we have tough teams coming up, and they're all going to present different challenges, but for us, it's just, like you said, taking it one moment at a time, one game at a time, and we'll be good,” Sebastian said of their win over Paraguay.
Looking ahead to a game that has involved a great deal of back and forth in the background, Sebastian said he expects Australia to provide a stern test when they take to the turf on Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
“You saw how tough it was for Türkiye. Obviously, they had a hard time breaking them down, and they were really good,” he said. “I mean, I love the way they defended, honestly. They were a group, they were a unit, and they gave everything they had and it worked, and they did really well.
“So, yeah, it's going to be a great game and they're going to fight and you like teams that have that brotherhood, and you like teams that when you go against them, you can see they're hungry and that they want to fight because it makes you raise your level that much.”
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