US soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino expects Tuesday's pre-World Cup clash with Portugal to be an even tougher assignment for the tournament co-hosts than their recent 5-2 thrashing by Belgium.
But the manager insisted he is happy that his final chance to assess his players before naming his World Cup squad will be another daunting friendly against highly ranked opposition.
kAmQ(6 ?6G6C E9@F89E E92E 724:?8 q6=8:F> @C !@CEF82= H@F=5 36 62DJ[Q D2:5 !@496EE:?@ 27E6C $2EFC52JVD 4CFD9:?8 =@DD E@ q6=8:F> :? pE=2?E2]k^Am
kAmQ(6 <?6H H6 H@F=5 92G6 E@ 5:8 566A 2?5 E92E :E H@F=5 8:G6 FD 2 3:E @7 2 C62=:EJ 4964<]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 >2?J E9:?8D E@ :>AC@G6]]] !@CEF82= H:== AC6D6?E FD H:E9 E96 D2>6 =6G6= @7 492==6?86 \\ @C A6C92AD 6G6? 8C62E6C \\ 2?5 H6 ?665 E@ C2:D6 @FC 82>6]Qk^Am
kAm!C6DDFC6 :D 9:89 @? !@496EE:?@VD >6? E@ 56=:G6C E9:D DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%96 &$ H:== E2<6 @? !2C28F2J[ pFDEC2=:2 2?5 6:E96C %FC<6J @C z@D@G@ :? E96:C (@C=5 rFA 8C@FA[ H9:49 92D 366? G:6H65 3J AF?5:ED 2D 2 C6=2E:G6=J <:?5 5C2H 7@C E96 4@\9@DED]k^Am
kAmp== E9@D6 82>6D H:== E2<6 A=246 @? p>6C:42? D@:= \\ 2D H@F=5 2?J <?@4<@FE 82>6D D9@F=5 E96J AC@8C6DD \\ 7FCE96C C2:D:?8 6IA64E2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 49@:46 @7 @AA@D:E:@? E62>D 7@C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6DV 7:?2= (@C=5 rFA H2C>\FA 7C:6?5=:6D H2D 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ C6BF:C6 ?2G:82E:?8 2 7:?6 =:?6 36EH66? 3F:=5:?8 E96 A=2J6CDV 4@?7:56?46 2?5 C:8@C@FD=J 492==6?8:?8 E96>]k^Am
kAmx? 4@?EC2DE E@ E96 p>6C:42?DV 6=:E6 @AA@?6?ED[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ !@496EE:?@VD ?2E:G6 pC86?E:?2 E9:D H66< A=2J65 2 7C:6?5=J 282:?DE ``dE9\C2?<65 |2FC:E2?:2[ H9:49 E96J H@? a\`[ 2?5 G6CDFD h`DE\C2?<65 +2>3:2] k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 4@>A6E:E:G6 82>6D E@ 2CC:G6 E@ E96 (@C=5 rFA 2E @FC 36DE[Q !@496EE:?@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< H6 42? 2CC:G6 H:E9 E96 HC@?8 :562 \\ E92E H6 2C6 D@ 8@@5[ H6 2C6 D@ 92?5D@>6[ H6 2C6 D@ H6== 5C6DD65[ 2?5 H6 2C6 p>6C:42?D] k^Am
kAmQxE :D 8@@5 E@ 766= E92E] qFE :7 J@F H2?E E@ H:? E96 (@C=5 rFA[ J@F H2?E E@ 8@ E@ E96 ?6IE DE286 @7 E96 8C@FA 2?5 362E !2C28F2J]]] 5@ J@F E9:?< E96JVC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 7:89EnQk^Am
k9am\ Vr2? 5@ 36EE6CV \k^9am
kAmx?;FC:6D 2D:56[ !@496EE:?@ A:4<65 2 ?62C 7F==\DEC6?8E9 E62> 282:?DE q6=8:F>]k^Am
kAm%96 &$ =:?65 FA H:E9 DE2CD DF49 2D r9C:DE:2? !F=:D:4 2?5 (6DE@? |4z6??:6]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 E96 56762E[ !@496EE:?@ D2:5 E92E 9:D E62> 925 366? DFA6C:@C 7@C E96 @A6?:?8 92=7 9@FC[ 3FE H@F=5 =62C? 2? :>A@CE2?E =6DD@? 23@FE 5C@AA:?8 E96:C :?E6?D:EJ 282:?DE DF49 6=:E6 @AA@D:E:@?[ H9@ H6?E @? E@ D4@C6 7:G6 8@2=D]k^Am
kAmQ{@D:?8 2 82>6]]] :? >J >:?5[ :D ?6G6C C62==J 8@@5[Q D2:5 |4z6??:6]k^Am
kAm}@?6E96=6DD 96 6IAC6DD65 9@A6 E96 E62> H@F=5 36 QDEC@?86C 7@C :E 282:?DE !@CEF82=[” H9@ 2C6 7:7E9 :? uxup’D H@C=5 C2?<:?8]k^Am
kAm(:E9 :?;FC:6D E@ 5676?56CD $6C8:?@ s6DE[ r9C:D #:492C5D 2?5 |:=6D #@3:?D@?[ 2D H6== 2D >:57:6=5 2?49@C %J=6C p52>D[ !@496EE:?@ H2D 7@C465 E@ 6IA6C:>6?E H:E9 %:>@E9J (629 2E C:89E 324<]k^Am
kAm(629 DECF88=65 325=J :? 5676?D6 282:?DE 2 C2>A2?E y6C6>J s@<F]k^Am
kAm!@496EE:?@ 2=D@ EC:2=65 2E E96 32D6 @7 >:57:6=5 y@9??J r2C5@D@ \\ H9@ 92D 6I46==65 7@C pE=6E:4@ |25C:5 3FE @7E6? 8@6D >:DD:?8 :? 2 &$ D9:CE[ 2?5 H2D DF3DE:EFE65 2E 92=7\E:>6 \\ 2?5 %2??6C %6DD>2??]k^Am
kAm!@496EE:?@ 25>:EE65 %6DD>2?? Q42? 5@ 36EE6CQ :? 7C@?E @7 E96 &$ 5676?D6[ 255:?8i Qx D2H 9:> A=2J 36EE6C 82>6D E92? E@52J]Qk^Am
kAmxE :D 2 >:57:6=5 D6=64E:@? 4@?F?5CF> E92E E96 >2?286C >FDE BF:4<=J C6D@=G6] k^Am
kAmp7E6C !@CEF82=[ E96 &$ H:== 92G6 :ED 7:?2= H2C>FA >2E496D 282:?DE $6?682= \\ H9@D6 G:4E@CJ @G6C |@C@44@ :? E96 p7C:42? rFA @7 }2E:@?D 7:?2= H2D C646?E=J C6G6CD65 \\ 2?5 2?@E96C E@A\`_ C2?<65 D:56 :? v6C>2?J]k^Am
kAmqFE !@496EE:?@ :?D:DE65 96 H2D Q?@E 8@:?8 E@ 492?86 E96 2AAC@249 3642FD6 @7 E96 C6DF=EQ 282:?DE q6=8:F>]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 E@ <66A 8@:?8 H:E9 E96 A=2?]Qk^Am
kAm2>K^33k^Am