United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino believes that Matko Miljevic and Jack McGlynn showed character when arguing over the penalty opportunity in the first minutes of the 3-1 victory over Venezuela.
Daniel Pereira‘s foul on forward Patrick Agyemang inside the box awarded the USMNT the first opportunity of the night with a penalty, leaving Miljevic and McGlynn to fight for the chance to take the shot. Ultimately, Miljevic stepped up to the spot and had his effort saved by the goalkeeper to keep the score at 0-0.
“We were talking at half-time, we tried to manage a tricky situation,” Pochettino said. “We didn’t say anything about who would take the penalty in the case we had one. But it was good, because I think [the argument] showed the character.”
“Matko took the ball first and then Jack wanted to shoot. I think it was a nice situation, but we clarified it at half-time. They apologized, Marco apologized and Jack because there was a situation, but it’s a situation because I think it’s part of the way we need to grow, it’s part of our great mentality. Fight.
“They wanted to show that I can help the team score it … But it was nice. It was good. It’s a part of that work in a psychological way or how we create the mentality. That is all the small things that maybe you cannot see since we used to create things that can help for the future.”
Pochettino sorted the confusion at half-time by asking players about their desire to take future penalties before creating a list of designated takers. Defender Shaq Moore later added that the team’s new manager also instructed every player to be supportive when a teammate steps up to the spot, regardless of the outcome.
“He just said whoever takes the penalty just go and support him,” Moore said. “Unfortunately Matko missed, but that’s football you moved on. I’m sure the next one someone else would take it or he would take it and they’ll score.
“You’ve got to be positive and wrap around the team. He just didn’t want us to bicker or fight about it, whoever takes it you got to support him and whatever happens, happens.”
Goals from Miljevic, McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang secured the USMNT’s first victory of 2025. Though Pochettino insists the coaching staff will never be fully satisfied when it comes to the team’s intensity, he walks away from the friendly content by the performance.
“I think as a coaching staff we’re never satisfied with intensity,” Pochettino added. “We always want more. I think we could have been a little more intense today, but I think I’m very, very happy. We are very happy for the performance they have shown on the pitch and above all the naturalness they faced in the match.”
The team will now travel to Orlando, Florida to face Costa Rica in the final friendly of January.