Match story
- Venezuela fired more attempts (10 vs 8 shots).
- Paraguay was more accurate in front of goal (38% on target vs 20%).
- Paraguay held more of the ball (67% possession).
Paraguay defeated Venezuela 0-1 in the World Cup - Qualification South America. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 2 stage in the 2022 season. The match was played at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano de Mérida in Mérida. A. Rojas officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Venezuela vs Paraguay meeting in World Cup - Qualification South America with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Venezuela and Paraguay. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification South AmericaRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
VenezuelaParaguay defeated Venezuela 0-1 in the World Cup - Qualification South America. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 2 stage in the 2022 season. The match was played at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano de Mérida in Mérida. A. Rojas officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Venezuela vs Paraguay meeting in World Cup - Qualification South America with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Venezuela and Paraguay. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification South AmericaRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Venezuela
Tab Ramos, who appeared in three World Cups, shared his assessment of head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Christian Pulisic, and the USMNT, stating that the team fell short of expectations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup gave the USMNT a historic advantage. However, the team couldn’t capitalize on home turf, and Tab Ramos has weighed in on how far Mauricio Pochettino and his squad fell short of expectations. During an exclusive interview with Bolavip, former U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos discussed the national team’s performance at the 2026 World Cup. He also analyzed the performances of the players, including Christian Pulisic. The three-time World Cup veteran was critical of the Stars and Stripes for failing to fulfill expectations during a once-in-a-generation opportunity on home soil. Tab Ramos critical of Mauricio Pochettino’s impact In 2024, U.S Soccer made a landmark hire by appointing Mauricio Pochettino as head coach. His top-tier European experience convinced many that better days were on the horizon, but the results failed to break new ground. Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of the United States. According to Ramos, Pochettino repeatedly asked fans and media to reserve judgment until the World Cup. Given Pochettino’s position as one of the world’s highest-paid international managers, merely matching the country’s standard Round of 16 exit was a disappointment. “In terms of the national team itself, I thought, in general, the national team had a good performance,” Ramos said. “I thought our first game against Paraguay was likely the best that any U.S. team has ever played at a World Cup, and I think that’s a very positive sign. However, in general, you have to judge the national team by results, and I think the results were just barely okay and really below the expectations.” Analyzing the USMNT’s World Cup performance Ramos backed his criticism with detailed tactical analysis rather than superficial claims. He pointed out that the team’s inconsistency during the tournament mirrored their form over the previous 18 months, making the early knockout departure a predictable outcome. “Well, I mean, it seems like going to the Round of 16 is the norm for our country here, regardless of the coach that we have,” he said. “And so, because we brought in Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s one of the highest-paid national team coaches in the world and obviously he has incredible experience overseas, our expectations were a little bit higher than getting to the same place we always get. “We waited for two years in the beginning of Pochettino’s era, as we didn’t get good results. He kept saying, ‘Well, we’ve got to wait for the World Cup. We have to wait for the World Cup.’ And we waited for the World Cup, but in the end, we ended up getting the same results as always. So, in general, I’d have to say this World Cup was below expectations.” The criticism toward Christian Pulisic through the eyes of Tab Ramos Christian Pulisic was among the marquee players who received the most criticism during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The AC Milan winger was unable to dominate matches to the extent fans had hoped, but Tab Ramos believes such scrutiny is entirely normal for a player of his standing. “Well, I think criticism is fair. This is what this game is about, right? I’m sure there were some people who thought that because we played well in the first-round games that the full performance was good enough. And then there’s going to be people that are going to say, ‘Well, that’s not good enough. I think we got to the same place as other World Cups.’”
The 19-year-old US youth international has turned heads in MLS this year, and is on the cusp of a USMNT breakthroughFor much of the past year, the story of American starlet Zavier Gozo has been one of realizing potential – even in failure. Speaking with the Guardian the day after he and Real Salt Lake teammate Diego Luna learned they wouldn’t be on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, the 19-year-old Gozo admitted the rejection made him realize how close he’d gotten to earning a spot.“I thought I would be less disappointed than I was,” Gozo said in May. “Obviously, it wasn’t like I was supposed to go. I feel like I was disappointed, but I also think it just gave me so much more motivation to be able to make the first team, whenever that is.” Continue reading...
After an injury-hit summer and a difficult second half of last season, Pulisic now has a fresh opportunity to rebuild his momentum under a coach who appears determined to get the best out of him. Christian Pulisic is heading into a pivotal new chapter at Milan, with Ruben Amorim already making it clear that the American remains central to his plans. After an injury-hit summer and a difficult second half of last season, Pulisic now has a fresh opportunity to rebuild his momentum under a coach who appears determined to get the best out of him. The 27-year-old has yet to make his competitive debut under Amorim, having missed much of preseason while recovering from the bone bruise and microfracture suffered during the United States’ World Cup defeat to Belgium. Yet rather than questioning Pulisic’s place in the squad, Amorim has repeatedly emphasized his belief in the forward and hinted at a role designed around his strengths. Pulisic’s versatility has always been one of his biggest assets. He has played on both wings, operated centrally and even featured as a false nine, but the Portuguese boss appears to have identified a specific position where he believes the American can be particularly dangerous. Speaking during Milan‘s preseason preparations, Amorim explained that he already knows how he wants to use the USMNT star. “I have a clear idea of where I want him [Pulisic] to play. Especially with the right foot on the left side, it is the perfect position for him. He can play the other side also, inside too and not on the line,” Amorim said. View this post on Instagram That points toward Pulisic playing as the left-sided No. 10 in Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system, operating behind the striker rather than staying permanently on the touchline. The position would allow him to cut inside onto his stronger right foot, combine with the wing-back and attack spaces between defenders. Pulisic has already played in similar role The idea may actually feel familiar to Pulisic after his experience with the United States at the 2026 World Cup. Although officially listed as a winger, he frequently started from the left before moving into central areas, while the left-back provided width on the outside. That setup gave Pulisic freedom to receive the ball in dangerous positions and attack defenders from different angles. His best performance of the tournament came during the opening half against Paraguay, when he helped create two goals and completed four dribbles despite playing only 45 minutes. Christian Pulisic vs Paraguay 45 minutes played pic.twitter.com/1F5pq8XzHR— – (@heruarchives) June 13, 2026 Amorim’s system could therefore give Pulisic a similar platform at club level. The major difference is that he will have more freedom to operate centrally from the beginning rather than constantly being asked to function as a traditional winger. Amorim remains firmly behind the American The tactical plan comes at an important moment for Pulisic, who endured a frustrating second half of the previous campaign. After scoring 15 goals in his first Milan season and 17 in his second, his total dropped to 10 in 2025-26, while he failed to score for the club after December. His World Cup campaign then ended in disappointment, with injuries restricting him before a second injury against Belgium forced him out of the tournament. Despite the criticism that followed, Amorim has made it clear that he does not believe Pulisic’s best days are behind him. Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026. “Pulisic is a really talented player,” Amorim said. “I know the strengths of Pulisic. I believe in him; he will be supported in our club.” The Milan manager added, “We believe a lot in him, have a clear plan to use all the qualities that he has, so I can say to you that Pulisic is really important for us.”
Julio Enciso has returned to Ipswich Town on a permanent deal, and is joined at the Premier League side by Abdoul Ouattara. The post Ipswich complete double signing of Enciso and Ouattara from Strasbourg appeared first on SoccerNews.
Today’s fluff preferred Bonnie Tyler’s versionCurtis Jones’s future has been the subject of much gossipmongering this summer, especially with Inter plonking him in the middle of their radar. The Italians have sniffed around the midfielder for quite a while and may ramp up their interest very soon with a bid of £30m to test Liverpool’s resolve.Ipswich are not willing to stop their summer spending and a return for Julio Enciso looks nailed on. The Paraguay international had an injury-plagued loan spell at Portman Road in 2025 but is back to lead their battle for Premier League survival after a permanent deal was agreed with Strasbourg. Also making the move from the French club is right-back Abdoul Ouattara. Continue reading...
This time around, chairman Mark Ashton says Ipswich have to be "a bit braver" in their approach to the Premier League, and the type of players the club are pursuing reflects that increased ambition. Japanese attacker Daizen Maeda and Morocco centre-back Issa Diop were both on target at the World Cup this summer, and a third goalscorer from that tournament could follow. The Tractor Boys have been linked with a move for Paraguayan forward Julio Enciso, who played under O'Neil at Strasbourg last season and had an injury-blighted loan spell at Portman Road during the second half of 2024-25.
The USMNT confirmed their first friendlies since the 2026 World Cup, and Christian Pulisic now knows his rivals for the FIFA window. Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team now know exactly who stands between them and their first response to a disappointing home World Cup. US Soccer confirmed that the USMNT will play four friendlies during the merged September-October FIFA window: Peru on September 26 at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando, Chile on September 29 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Mexico on October 3 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and Canada on October 6 at Allianz Field in St. Paul. These will be the USMNT‘s first matches since their 2026 World Cup run ended in the Round of 16, where the U.S. fell 1-4 to Belgium. Much was expected of Pulisic, whose own tournament was hampered by injury throughout. He was electric in the opener against Paraguay, picking up an assist, before a calf knock forced him off at halftime, and while he returned for the following matches, his form dipped noticeably by the time the U.S. faced Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium — a drop-off later explained by a bone bruise and microfracture he was playing through. A FOUR-MATCH WINDOW IS SET FOR THIS FALL!🇺🇸🆚🇵🇪 – 9/26 in Orlando, FL🇺🇸🆚🇨🇱 – 9/29 in St. Louis, MO🇺🇸🆚🇲🇽 – 10/3 in Glendale, AZ🇺🇸🆚🇨🇦 – 10/6 in St. Paul, MN🔗 https://t.co/SVoF4Ixmch pic.twitter.com/RwqDMqC4O8— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) August 4, 2026 Pochettino locked in through 2030 These friendlies also double as the first fixtures of a newly extended era. Despite the underwhelming World Cup exit on home soil, Mauricio Pochettino agreed to a new USMNT contract that runs through the 2030 World Cup, a deal U.S. Soccer framed as a long-term bet on continuity rather than a reaction to a single tournament. “Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger,” Pochettino said. He also pointed to ambitions beyond results on the field, saying the goal is to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed him so warmly. US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone backed the extension, pointing to Pochettino’s experience as a boost not just for the senior team but for the broader player development pipeline, and citing the long tenures of coaches like Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps as models for sustained success across multiple World Cup cycles.
According to reports, Mauricio Pochettino is close to renewing his contract with the USMNT ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly nearing a new deal with the USMNT, a four-year extension that would keep him in charge of the national team through the 2030 World Cup. His original contract only covered the buildup to this summer’s tournament, leaving his future as a subject of speculation even as talks with the federation had reportedly already begun before the World Cup kicked off. According to Telemundo’s Andres Cantor, the extension is close to being finalized, a report subsequently confirmed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein. The deal is said to be in its final stages, though it still requires formal approval from US Soccer’s board of directors before it can be made official. Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone has spoken publicly about the progress of the negotiations, describing conversations with Pochettino as “going well” and suggesting an announcement could come in the near future. Mauricio Pochettino celebrates USA’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Getty Images) The push to keep Pochettino in place comes despite a tournament that ended in some disappointment on the pitch, with the U.S. eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium in a lopsided 4-1 defeat. That result, however, doesn’t appear to have shaken the federation’s confidence in the Argentine coach, whose overall body of work with the program has been used to justify locking him in for another cycle. Pochettino’s numbers as USMNT manager Since taking over, Pochettino has posted a 18-1-12 record across 31 matches in charge of the USMNT. His World Cup campaign specifically produced a string of historic results: the U.S. topped Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia, racking up six points, the most in a group stage in program history, and the first time the U.S. had won two group-stage matches since 1930. That form carried into the knockout rounds, where a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 marked the team’s first knockout-stage victory since 2002. Between those results, Pochettino became the winningest head coach in USMNT history at a single World Cup, with three victories in the tournament, while the team also set a new U.S. scoring record with 11 goals across five matches before finishing 12th overall.
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé is embroiled in a scandal over racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator that the United Nations Human Rights Office has called "dehumanizing" and "despicable" and have led to an investigation by French prosecutors.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
Tab Ramos, who appeared in three World Cups, shared his assessment of head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Christian Pulisic, and the USMNT, stating that the team fell short of expectations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup gave the USMNT a historic advantage. However, the team couldn’t capitalize on home turf, and Tab Ramos has weighed in on how far Mauricio Pochettino and his squad fell short of expectations. During an exclusive interview with Bolavip, former U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos discussed the national team’s performance at the 2026 World Cup. He also analyzed the performances of the players, including Christian Pulisic. The three-time World Cup veteran was critical of the Stars and Stripes for failing to fulfill expectations during a once-in-a-generation opportunity on home soil. Tab Ramos critical of Mauricio Pochettino’s impact In 2024, U.S Soccer made a landmark hire by appointing Mauricio Pochettino as head coach. His top-tier European experience convinced many that better days were on the horizon, but the results failed to break new ground. Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of the United States. According to Ramos, Pochettino repeatedly asked fans and media to reserve judgment until the World Cup. Given Pochettino’s position as one of the world’s highest-paid international managers, merely matching the country’s standard Round of 16 exit was a disappointment. “In terms of the national team itself, I thought, in general, the national team had a good performance,” Ramos said. “I thought our first game against Paraguay was likely the best that any U.S. team has ever played at a World Cup, and I think that’s a very positive sign. However, in general, you have to judge the national team by results, and I think the results were just barely okay and really below the expectations.” Analyzing the USMNT’s World Cup performance Ramos backed his criticism with detailed tactical analysis rather than superficial claims. He pointed out that the team’s inconsistency during the tournament mirrored their form over the previous 18 months, making the early knockout departure a predictable outcome. “Well, I mean, it seems like going to the Round of 16 is the norm for our country here, regardless of the coach that we have,” he said. “And so, because we brought in Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s one of the highest-paid national team coaches in the world and obviously he has incredible experience overseas, our expectations were a little bit higher than getting to the same place we always get. “We waited for two years in the beginning of Pochettino’s era, as we didn’t get good results. He kept saying, ‘Well, we’ve got to wait for the World Cup. We have to wait for the World Cup.’ And we waited for the World Cup, but in the end, we ended up getting the same results as always. So, in general, I’d have to say this World Cup was below expectations.” The criticism toward Christian Pulisic through the eyes of Tab Ramos Christian Pulisic was among the marquee players who received the most criticism during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The AC Milan winger was unable to dominate matches to the extent fans had hoped, but Tab Ramos believes such scrutiny is entirely normal for a player of his standing. “Well, I think criticism is fair. This is what this game is about, right? I’m sure there were some people who thought that because we played well in the first-round games that the full performance was good enough. And then there’s going to be people that are going to say, ‘Well, that’s not good enough. I think we got to the same place as other World Cups.’”
The 19-year-old US youth international has turned heads in MLS this year, and is on the cusp of a USMNT breakthroughFor much of the past year, the story of American starlet Zavier Gozo has been one of realizing potential – even in failure. Speaking with the Guardian the day after he and Real Salt Lake teammate Diego Luna learned they wouldn’t be on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, the 19-year-old Gozo admitted the rejection made him realize how close he’d gotten to earning a spot.“I thought I would be less disappointed than I was,” Gozo said in May. “Obviously, it wasn’t like I was supposed to go. I feel like I was disappointed, but I also think it just gave me so much more motivation to be able to make the first team, whenever that is.” Continue reading...
After an injury-hit summer and a difficult second half of last season, Pulisic now has a fresh opportunity to rebuild his momentum under a coach who appears determined to get the best out of him. Christian Pulisic is heading into a pivotal new chapter at Milan, with Ruben Amorim already making it clear that the American remains central to his plans. After an injury-hit summer and a difficult second half of last season, Pulisic now has a fresh opportunity to rebuild his momentum under a coach who appears determined to get the best out of him. The 27-year-old has yet to make his competitive debut under Amorim, having missed much of preseason while recovering from the bone bruise and microfracture suffered during the United States’ World Cup defeat to Belgium. Yet rather than questioning Pulisic’s place in the squad, Amorim has repeatedly emphasized his belief in the forward and hinted at a role designed around his strengths. Pulisic’s versatility has always been one of his biggest assets. He has played on both wings, operated centrally and even featured as a false nine, but the Portuguese boss appears to have identified a specific position where he believes the American can be particularly dangerous. Speaking during Milan‘s preseason preparations, Amorim explained that he already knows how he wants to use the USMNT star. “I have a clear idea of where I want him [Pulisic] to play. Especially with the right foot on the left side, it is the perfect position for him. He can play the other side also, inside too and not on the line,” Amorim said. View this post on Instagram That points toward Pulisic playing as the left-sided No. 10 in Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system, operating behind the striker rather than staying permanently on the touchline. The position would allow him to cut inside onto his stronger right foot, combine with the wing-back and attack spaces between defenders. Pulisic has already played in similar role The idea may actually feel familiar to Pulisic after his experience with the United States at the 2026 World Cup. Although officially listed as a winger, he frequently started from the left before moving into central areas, while the left-back provided width on the outside. That setup gave Pulisic freedom to receive the ball in dangerous positions and attack defenders from different angles. His best performance of the tournament came during the opening half against Paraguay, when he helped create two goals and completed four dribbles despite playing only 45 minutes. Christian Pulisic vs Paraguay 45 minutes played pic.twitter.com/1F5pq8XzHR— – (@heruarchives) June 13, 2026 Amorim’s system could therefore give Pulisic a similar platform at club level. The major difference is that he will have more freedom to operate centrally from the beginning rather than constantly being asked to function as a traditional winger. Amorim remains firmly behind the American The tactical plan comes at an important moment for Pulisic, who endured a frustrating second half of the previous campaign. After scoring 15 goals in his first Milan season and 17 in his second, his total dropped to 10 in 2025-26, while he failed to score for the club after December. His World Cup campaign then ended in disappointment, with injuries restricting him before a second injury against Belgium forced him out of the tournament. Despite the criticism that followed, Amorim has made it clear that he does not believe Pulisic’s best days are behind him. Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026. “Pulisic is a really talented player,” Amorim said. “I know the strengths of Pulisic. I believe in him; he will be supported in our club.” The Milan manager added, “We believe a lot in him, have a clear plan to use all the qualities that he has, so I can say to you that Pulisic is really important for us.”
Julio Enciso has returned to Ipswich Town on a permanent deal, and is joined at the Premier League side by Abdoul Ouattara. The post Ipswich complete double signing of Enciso and Ouattara from Strasbourg appeared first on SoccerNews.
Today’s fluff preferred Bonnie Tyler’s versionCurtis Jones’s future has been the subject of much gossipmongering this summer, especially with Inter plonking him in the middle of their radar. The Italians have sniffed around the midfielder for quite a while and may ramp up their interest very soon with a bid of £30m to test Liverpool’s resolve.Ipswich are not willing to stop their summer spending and a return for Julio Enciso looks nailed on. The Paraguay international had an injury-plagued loan spell at Portman Road in 2025 but is back to lead their battle for Premier League survival after a permanent deal was agreed with Strasbourg. Also making the move from the French club is right-back Abdoul Ouattara. Continue reading...
This time around, chairman Mark Ashton says Ipswich have to be "a bit braver" in their approach to the Premier League, and the type of players the club are pursuing reflects that increased ambition. Japanese attacker Daizen Maeda and Morocco centre-back Issa Diop were both on target at the World Cup this summer, and a third goalscorer from that tournament could follow. The Tractor Boys have been linked with a move for Paraguayan forward Julio Enciso, who played under O'Neil at Strasbourg last season and had an injury-blighted loan spell at Portman Road during the second half of 2024-25.
The USMNT confirmed their first friendlies since the 2026 World Cup, and Christian Pulisic now knows his rivals for the FIFA window. Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team now know exactly who stands between them and their first response to a disappointing home World Cup. US Soccer confirmed that the USMNT will play four friendlies during the merged September-October FIFA window: Peru on September 26 at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando, Chile on September 29 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Mexico on October 3 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and Canada on October 6 at Allianz Field in St. Paul. These will be the USMNT‘s first matches since their 2026 World Cup run ended in the Round of 16, where the U.S. fell 1-4 to Belgium. Much was expected of Pulisic, whose own tournament was hampered by injury throughout. He was electric in the opener against Paraguay, picking up an assist, before a calf knock forced him off at halftime, and while he returned for the following matches, his form dipped noticeably by the time the U.S. faced Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium — a drop-off later explained by a bone bruise and microfracture he was playing through. A FOUR-MATCH WINDOW IS SET FOR THIS FALL!🇺🇸🆚🇵🇪 – 9/26 in Orlando, FL🇺🇸🆚🇨🇱 – 9/29 in St. Louis, MO🇺🇸🆚🇲🇽 – 10/3 in Glendale, AZ🇺🇸🆚🇨🇦 – 10/6 in St. Paul, MN🔗 https://t.co/SVoF4Ixmch pic.twitter.com/RwqDMqC4O8— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) August 4, 2026 Pochettino locked in through 2030 These friendlies also double as the first fixtures of a newly extended era. Despite the underwhelming World Cup exit on home soil, Mauricio Pochettino agreed to a new USMNT contract that runs through the 2030 World Cup, a deal U.S. Soccer framed as a long-term bet on continuity rather than a reaction to a single tournament. “Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger,” Pochettino said. He also pointed to ambitions beyond results on the field, saying the goal is to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed him so warmly. US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone backed the extension, pointing to Pochettino’s experience as a boost not just for the senior team but for the broader player development pipeline, and citing the long tenures of coaches like Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps as models for sustained success across multiple World Cup cycles.
According to reports, Mauricio Pochettino is close to renewing his contract with the USMNT ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly nearing a new deal with the USMNT, a four-year extension that would keep him in charge of the national team through the 2030 World Cup. His original contract only covered the buildup to this summer’s tournament, leaving his future as a subject of speculation even as talks with the federation had reportedly already begun before the World Cup kicked off. According to Telemundo’s Andres Cantor, the extension is close to being finalized, a report subsequently confirmed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein. The deal is said to be in its final stages, though it still requires formal approval from US Soccer’s board of directors before it can be made official. Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone has spoken publicly about the progress of the negotiations, describing conversations with Pochettino as “going well” and suggesting an announcement could come in the near future. Mauricio Pochettino celebrates USA’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Getty Images) The push to keep Pochettino in place comes despite a tournament that ended in some disappointment on the pitch, with the U.S. eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium in a lopsided 4-1 defeat. That result, however, doesn’t appear to have shaken the federation’s confidence in the Argentine coach, whose overall body of work with the program has been used to justify locking him in for another cycle. Pochettino’s numbers as USMNT manager Since taking over, Pochettino has posted a 18-1-12 record across 31 matches in charge of the USMNT. His World Cup campaign specifically produced a string of historic results: the U.S. topped Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia, racking up six points, the most in a group stage in program history, and the first time the U.S. had won two group-stage matches since 1930. That form carried into the knockout rounds, where a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 marked the team’s first knockout-stage victory since 2002. Between those results, Pochettino became the winningest head coach in USMNT history at a single World Cup, with three victories in the tournament, while the team also set a new U.S. scoring record with 11 goals across five matches before finishing 12th overall.
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé is embroiled in a scandal over racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator that the United Nations Human Rights Office has called "dehumanizing" and "despicable" and have led to an investigation by French prosecutors.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
