Pochettino's USA training more intensive – Robinson

U.S. defender Antonee Robinson said the training atmosphere already feels “a little more intense” under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino as players prepare for October friendlies against Panama and Mexico.

Pochettino is leading the team and leading practices in his first international window after joining the USMNT on a two-year deal on September 10, replacing former manager Gregg Berhalter.

“Yes, at first glance it seems a little more intense,” Robinson said in a press conference. “Usually guys come in on a Monday or Sunday and train on Monday. After playing on Saturday, it’s like you don’t do much of your recovery on the bike.”

“Yesterday we started training straight away and it was a tough session. So we were here to work straight away, so to speak. So it was definitely intense… and then he knows we only have a short amount of time to understand the principles we're supposed to play with, the tactics and so on that we haven't really gotten into yet.

“So yeah, baby steps of course, but it definitely feels like camp is going to be a time where we have time to enjoy it, but we're going to work hard and really work towards success.”

The team has endured a difficult summer after failing to reach the knockout stages of the 2024 Copa América and finishing the Conmebol tournament with a 1-2-0 (WLD) record. Berhalter was released by the USA on July 10 after the Copa.

The USA then faced a difficult international window in September under interim coach Mikey Varas, losing 2-1 to Canada on home soil for the first time in 67 years and drawing 1-1 with New Zealand.

Charlotte FC and USMNT defender Tim Ream said after meeting Pochettino and the new USMNT coaching staff, the message he was given was clear: “He wants to win.”

“There were a lot of one-on-ones where we understood each other as people, and they continued throughout,” Ream said. “Obviously I had my conversation (with the coaching staff) right when I showed up on Sunday. Then, as the hours go by, you see certain people being pushed into sit-down conversations. I think it’s great.”

“They want to get to know us, and of course we want to get to know them. The message is that he wants to win. He has his principles, he has his ideas, but at the end of the day it's about winning. That’s important. “It’s important to have that mentality going into these games and beyond.”

The U.S. hosts Panama on Oct. 12 in Austin, Texas, before traveling to Guadalajara to play Mexico on Oct. 15.