Mauricio Pochettino's decision to send his top stars home from international duty early backfired on Tuesday as the United States Men's National Team suffered a dreadful 2-0 defeat in Mexico.
Pochettino was without Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen in Guadalajara, deciding to send them back to their clubs. The Argentine attributed the decision to fostering a positive relationship with players' clubs and managing their workload.
The USA boss was also eager to see the talents of the fringe members of the squad. He said after Saturday's 2-0 win over Panama: "It's really important for the players because I think we all want to have the opportunity to play, to show quality.
"It's a little bit sad because these guys that work here want to help and play for the team. But at the same time, when one door is closed, another can be opened, and there will be a possibility for another player to play."
And while the decision may have long-term benefits, it contributed to the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss' first defeat in charge of the USMNT. Raul Jimenez and Cesar Huerta scored either side of halftime, with the Stars and Stripes struggling to convert the lion's share of possession into scoring chances.
Despite the disappointment of the defeat, Pochettino learned plenty about the players at his disposal. He said. "I think we have all learned from watching them compete and that also makes me learn a lot from the players. They have been in very few occasions like this before.
"It is a match where it has given us the opportunity to evaluate the players who have been on the field and feel what it's like to play under enormous pressure on a field like this against a rival like Mexico."
But the 52-year-old says he and his players need more time together to find their groove. "Overall, I think Mexico was a little bit better than us and fully deserved the victory," Pochettino added.
"But for us, it's a process that we started 10 days ago and today was a great opportunity for our player to visit a very difficult place to play. I think only we can improve and learn from this experience.
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"We wanted to win. I think we need to be positive about this type of game. We need to play more games like this to improve the knowledge that we have.
"Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, have them, know them, and from there I will give you a better opinion about what is much more fundamental than what I see."
Pochettino and his players will be reunited next month when the U.S. will play Jamaica home and away in the quarter-final of the CONCACAF Nations League.
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