Pochettino (Image: Getty Images)
The last time the US national team won a World Cup knockout match, long-serving Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel was between the posts for the memorable 2-0 triumph over Mexico in 2002.
As coach Mauricio Pochettino prepares his 2026 World Cup squad for Wednesday night’s clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, speculation has emerged regarding a potential contract extension for the Argentine through the 2030 cycle.
Pochettino, linked to the likes of Manchester United earlier this year, was visibly irritated by the US media following his team’s 3-2 defeat to Turkiye in the dead-rubber group-stage finale, especially when questioned about his future despite having already secured the USMNT’s place in the knockout rounds.
Speaking exclusively with the Express, Friedel dismissed the potential extension as a “non-event” given its peculiar timing. The former USMNT goalkeeper also praised Pochettino’s decision to rotate his squad against Turkiye while offering his prediction for Wednesday’s encounter with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the latest episode of the All Out Soccer podcast, host Jeremy Goldstein chats with Brad Friedel about the US-Bosnia matchup and much, much more.
Brad Friedel on Pochettino extension
Friedel suggested the reports should be disregarded. “Let me put it to you, let me put it to you a different way. He managed at the same time: Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe (at PSG in 2021/2022),” he said on behalf of Bingo Sites UK.
Brad Friedel represented the US over 100 times (Image: Getty Images)
“A story about him possibly getting another four-year contract at US soccer. It’s just a non-like, but I mean it’s a news event, because if he does it, fantastic. But he’s just focused on Bosnia [right now].”
“That’s just how he is, so all the periphery noise is sort of irrelevant, and that’s why I think he was annoyed with the US media, and has been annoyed with the US media for a while, because they were, they were not very kind to him for long periods of time,” Friedel continued, referencing Pochettino’s heated press conference.
He went on to heap further praise on the Argentine coach. “What I would say is the United States would be incredibly lucky to have him for another four-year period,” Friedel noted.
Brad Friedel on Pochettino USA tweaks vs Turkiye
“It was managed perfectly,” Friedel said of Pochettino’s side, which featured nine changes to the starting line-up, including between the posts. “One of the most difficult things when you’re managing in a tournament environment is, how do you keep the players that aren’t getting minutes on board as much as possible? So, he had an opportunity to play almost all of them.”
“He had a decision to make between Matt Freese and Matt Turner. Here, he was given a golden opportunity to play Matt Turner, so he got a game in the tournament. It was all, it was all perfect. Yes, you could break down the mistakes against a Turkish side, who conceded three goals and lost the game, but they also created a lot of chances,” he noted.
Brad Friedel prediction for USA vs Bosnia
“My prediction, I think this is going to be a much harder match than I think the US fans think,” Friedel said, speaking warmly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I think the players in Mauricio will know it’s going to be hard. I would expect that Bosnia is going to be a little bit more direct, especially at the beginning of the match”.
“If Bosnia does try to play out of the back, I think that works to the advantage of the US as far as score prediction. I’ll give a score of US two to one, hoping that it will be much, much more comfortable than that, but that’ll be my prediction, because I think knockout rounds are difficult,” Friedel concluded.