AUSTIN, Texas -- The first half was a brutal watch for those sitting in the stands at a half-full Q2 Stadium. Battling with a stiflingly humid 96-degree evening, the U.S. men's national team were locked at 0-0 against an organized Saudi Arabia team in their second Gold Cup group stage match.
Sluggish, lackluster, and lacking any dynamism, head coach Mauricio Pochettino looked exasperated at his wilting squad -- a stark contrast from the vibe in Sunday's 5-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago in their tournament opener.
"We want to win, but at the same time it's to help the players to perform and to knock [on] the door and say, we can perform for the national team and we can be involved in the next World Cup," stated Pochettino after the previous victory, looking fully confident for the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia.