Pochettino Defends Email Cuts for 29 US World Cup Hopefuls as 26-Man Squad Debate Intensifies
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Pochettino Defends Email Cuts for 29 US World Cup Hopefuls as 26-Man Squad Debate Intensifies
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 26
55 players were told their status last week, with the 29 omitted from the United States' 26-man World Cup squad informed by email rather than phone calls.
Pochettino said calling every cut player would be inconsistent and pointless, arguing he would only be telling them someone else was the better option "in this period."
Landon Donovan offered a mixed view, saying some long-serving players would expect a call, while former striker Herculez Gomez called the approach "diabolical" and cited past coaches who spoke individually with cuts.
Pochettino said his own experiences being left out by Argentina and later sacked by clubs shaped his view that players do not want apologies after a decision is made.
June 1 is the deadline to submit the final roster to FIFA, though injury replacements remain possible until the day before the U.S. opens against Paraguay on June 12.
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