Mauricio Pochettino marked America’s 250 years of independence while preparing the United States for its World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium at Lumen Field.
Less than 24 hours after throwing out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game with his team, the U.S. coach offered birthday wishes not to Folarin Balogun, who turned 25, but to the country his team represents.
“Happy birthday,” Pochettino told reporters before practice at Husky Soccer Stadium. “It’s 250 years, no?”
Tim Ream described Pochettino as “200 percent Argentine,” while noting that the coach has embraced the team’s environment and added his own background to it. Ream said the U.S. group, from staff to players, reflects a mix of cultures and personalities.
That is visible across the roster. Six players were born outside the United States, and others, including Balogun, were raised abroad. Balogun was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and grew up in London before choosing to represent the United States.
“This is a unique experience for me,” Balogun said, “being in the World Cup in your home nation.”
Ipsos Sports polling showed the World Cup has energized soccer fans and drawn interest from Many Americans, even with Soccer still trying to close the gap on other major U.S. sports.
The Americans can add to that interest against Belgium. A win would give the United States two knockout-stage victories in the same World Cup for the first time and send the team to its second quarterfinal, its first since 2002.
Ream called it an opportunity to inspire tens of millions of people and children while winning another knockout-stage match. Sergiño Dest said Belgium is a strong opponent but believes the United States has grown during the tournament and will be difficult to beat, despite Belgium’s 5-2 win over the Americans in a World Cup warmup.
Weston McKennie and Dest are among the starters who are children of U.S. service members, another part of the roster’s broader American makeup. Ream, who played for Fulham before returning to Charlotte, said celebrating the Fourth in the United States feels different from doing so in Europe.
The United States will try to finish the holiday weekend with a win behind a team Ream sees as a direct reflection of America: “a melting pot of people, personalities, of characters.”