The US men’s national team’s 3-2 win against Senegal means plenty in the context of the Americans’ warm-up for the World Cup. But it was a seemingly throwaway moment midway through the first half that captured many observers’ attention: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, crouched on the ground by the US bench, motioning toward a laptop unsteadily held by an assistant, a group of players behind him rapt in attention.
“It was a new one for sure,” a laughing US defender Mark McKenzie said of the scene, which more closely resembled what you might see during a time-out in the NBA than in any soccer match, let alone a top-class international on the eve of the World Cup.
It was also an instantly memeable image, with social media awash with users joking about all manner of things Pochettino may have been pointing at on that screen.
Reality was far more basic: the screen was simply showing a series of plays in which Pochettino felt the US could have done better in one way or another. The head coach has earned a forward-thinking reputation; speaking to media after the game, he claimed that he was the first to do this sort of on-the-spot video analysis with players, claiming that he first started the practice in 2009 when he first started as a manager with La Liga side Espanyol.
“The players need to feel, but they also need to see,” said Pochettino. “I think it’s very helpful for the player to see actions. When they see the image, I think it’s really important.”
At the World Cup, every match will be paused midway through each half just like it was on Sunday, regardless of weather conditions. It’s a controversial move that Fifa claims is done in the interest of creating a level playing field across games, in a tournament where several matches are anticipated to be played amid high temperatures and thus have the mandated cooling breaks as a matter of player safety.
The mid-half breaks were observed for the United States’ March friendlies as well, despite the games being played indoors at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They were repeated on Sunday in Charlotte despite temperatures sitting in the mid-70s F throughout.
If the scene creates worry that the American World Cup will suddenly be awash with American timeouts, rest easy. An exact replica won’t happen at the World Cup, where players are not allowed off the field during the cooling breaks. However, Pochettino said the team is still waiting for clarity about what will be permitted on the field during that time (other than water).
Cynics have pointed out that the breaks allow broadcasters the opportunity to sell additional advertising that would otherwise be unthinkable (or at least incredibly risky) to insert in the middle of what is meant to be a continuously-flowing game. Managers, meanwhile, are seeing the breaks as a heretofore unseen coaching opportunity. In March’s friendlies, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez bluntly called the three-minute break “A tactical stop”
“During three minutes – we’ve seen many examples in other sports, basketball, futsal – the game can really change,” he said.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, McKenzie admitted that though that this particular type of time-out, with the laptop and all, is not something he’s experienced before. But he admitted that it was “beneficial” for the US as they sought to hold on to what was then a 1-0 lead.
“It gives us that minute or so to fine-tune some things, make some adjustments, maybe figure out in our press or in our defensive transitions, whatever it may be, where we can improve,” he said. “But it kinda helps to take a breath, reset yourselves as a collective.”
Soccer purists are no fans of the breaks. And interestingly given his actions on Sunday, Pochettino considers himself to be in that camp.
“I’ll use the water break to try and help my players. But still, I don’t like [them],” he told the media. “Of course if it’s too hot I think the water break is important. Because the health of the player is first. But if it’s not too hot …. I think it’s not necessary. I think the players are prepared and are ready to compete during 45 minutes. But it’s like plenty of rules today. Rules that for sure I don’t like. They say they are going to help with the spectators. But we are going in a direction where we are going to change. The football that we know is not going to exist, and it will become another sport.”
