The U.S. men's national team pulled off a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte on Sunday, but the most interesting gadget on the field wasn't on the scoreboard.
A hydration break, reinvented
During the 24th-minute water break, coach Mauricio Pochettino gathered his players and did something soccer coaches rarely do: he opened a laptop. No clipboard. No hand gestures. Just a screen and a pointer finger.
Cameras caught Pochettino gesturing at the display while players leaned in to watch whatever tactical vision he was laying out. It's the kind of moment that'll either look brilliant in hindsight or spark a regulatory headache for FIFA.
FIFA hasn't weighed in yet
The governing body said it will "look into this" — which is soccer-speak for "we hadn't thought about that." The re's no word on whether laptop assistance will be permitted at the World Cup.
"Players need to think, but the y also need to see," Pochettino said afterward. Fair enough. The rest of the world figured that out around the time of the printing press.
What the players thought
Midfielder Weston McKennie said any visual aid helps. Captain Christian Pulisic compared it to halftime adjustments, calling the whole thing "a little unique" but useful.
Pulisic also endorsed more breaks in soccer — a sport famously allergic to stopping. "Timeouts would be a good thing," he said. Considering the alternative is crowding around a laptop mid-game, he has a point.
— Steve Reed, The Associated Press