Patience has reached its limit.

The British 'Mirror' reported on the 24th (Korea Standard Time) that "Mauricio Pochettino (53), coach of the U.S. national team, said the loss to Canada is not that important. This angered American fans."

The U.S. men's national team recently suffered a shocking two consecutive defeats, losing 0-1 to Panama in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League and then losing 1-2 to Canada in the third-place match. Fans were particularly disappointed that both matches were held at their home ground, SoFi Stadium located in California.

In this situation, Coach Pochettino showed a calm demeanor at the post-match press conference, saying that this defeat could serve as a "positive turning point."

According to 'AP News', he noted, "If we are going to make these mistakes, it’s better to do it now. We still have time." He added humorously, "If this situation had occurred on the World Cup stage a year from now, I would have truly said, 'Houston, we have a problem. SOS.'"

Pochettino asserted, "I am an optimistic person. Even when I am disappointed and angry, I try to find something positive in it. This result will not have a negative impact on the World Cup. It could actually serve positively."

According to the Mirror, such remarks fueled the anger of fans. Some American fans have raised criticisms on social media, stating, "What can we expect from a coach who couldn’t win the Champions League even with Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé?" and "There is nothing better than Greg Berhalter," and questioned whether the current pace would even allow them to reach the World Cup.

Last September, the U.S. Soccer Federation offered Coach Pochettino a two-year contract worth approximately $6 million (about 8.8 billion Hanwha), officially appointing him as head coach. The Mirror reported, "At that time, fans disappointed with Coach Berhalter welcomed Pochettino's appointment, but now voices calling for his dismissal are increasing."

The team's performance has also fallen short of fan expectations. AP News pointed out, "The U.S. lacked sharpness throughout the match against Panama, and there was only one instance of a real attack against Canada. The defensive organization was also shaky." In this tournament, Coach Pochettino has made several changes to the lineup, but the effect has been minimal.

Aside from Patrick Agyemang, who scored the only goal against Canada, key player Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) was substituted after 69 minutes, and the defense allowed Jonathan David of Canada to score the winning goal. Pochettino acknowledged, "I failed to communicate the tactics across the team," while emphasizing, "We still have time."

Pochettino will have one last opportunity for assessment through the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup to be held this summer. However, it’s uncertain whether a proper 'full strength' can be put together as the schedule overlaps with the FIFA Club World Cup, which means some key players may be unavailable.

The U.S. national team has secured automatic qualification for the World Cup as the host nation, but given recent performance and atmosphere, concerns are growing about what kind of results they can achieve at the 2026 World Cup in their own country.

Amid the gap between fan expectations and reality, Coach Pochettino is at a point where he must demonstrate a definitive turnaround like never before.

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