### Pochettino Praises Pulisic Amidst Concerns Over Workload

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**AUSTIN, Texas** – United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has praised Christian Pulisic's exceptional offensive prowess, labeling him as one of the world's finest. However, Pochettino expressed his apprehension about the heavy workload the AC Milan star has been managing, following an impressive start to his season. Pulisic has netted six goals and provided two assists across all competitions, starting in all nine games for Milan this season.

"I think he's a fantastic player, one of the best offensive players in the world," Pochettino commended Pulisic during a news conference on Friday. He added, "We are a little bit worried that sometimes we need to protect [Pulisic]. He arrived a little bit tired, but I told him before to build a very good relationship with the club and try to help. When we really need him, he needs to be in form, happy, strong, and the quality is there because he has enormous talent."

Pulisic, who had struggled for consistent game time during his tenure at Chelsea in the Premier League, has emerged as a central figure for Milan in his second season at the Serie A club. Reflecting on his form, Pulisic said, "It's tough to explain. You have moments in your career where it feels like everything you touch goes in, and other times when it feels like you're trying everything and the ball just won't go in. As an attacking player, we've all gone through it. Right now, things seem to be going well, and I just want to continue like this. For me, it's a result of all the work I've put in my whole life. It shouldn’t be a surprise. I know I have this ability and just kind of ride that high."

Pochettino, appointed as USMNT coach on September 10, is gearing up for his debut matches with the team, featuring friendlies against Panama in Austin, Texas, scheduled for Saturday, and a clash with their fierce rivals, Mexico, in Guadalajara three days later. The former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham coach emphasized the importance of bonding within the team during this introductory national camp.

"There are nearly 40 people working all together, and to have the capacity to organize and to know each other and to settle the way that we want to work is the most important thing from the beginning," Pochettino stated. He acknowledged the fans' desire for victory but stressed the necessity of a gradual approach to acclimatize players to his methodologies. "Soccer is about competing and winning because our fans, for sure, want to win. But at the same time, they need to understand that our first contact with the whole organization and players means we cannot push [the players] too much. They need to adapt to use our ideas."

Reflecting on the team's training sessions, Pochettino expressed admiration for the players' discipline and effort. He noted that the intensity of training, both physically and mentally, is part of adjusting to a new manager. Pochettino plans to be adaptable with his tactical approach, particularly regarding how the team plays out from the back.

"People sometimes say, 'No, that's my philosophy, my idea and I am going to die with my idea.' No, I want to live," he remarked humorously. "It's amazing. I want to be clever. I want to win. I don't want to die. Sometimes we cannot play. Sometimes we need to find different ways to put our players in comfortable zones, not in uncomfortable ones, to reduce the confidence we play with."

He concluded, "You need to adapt yourself, your ideas, your philosophy because we are coaching the player, not ourselves. We need to be a coaching staff that coaches the team and the player. If not, we start coaching ourselves and then always blame the player. We don't want to blame the player. We want to provide all the tools for them to perform, depending on the characteristics of the team, in the best way."