Pochettino preaches positivity for USMNT: "We stick with the plan" 

Mauricio Pochettino has generally been a genial, positive presence at the helm of the US men’s national team , even when results, performances or off-field drama have cast a shadow.

That changed on Monday afternoon in Columbus.

Almost exactly one year into his USMNT tenure, the Argentine coach was downright confrontational in his Matchday-1 press conference ahead of Tuesday’s friendly vs. Japan, doubling down on his defense of Saturday’s dour 2-0 loss to South Korea and rounding on “critics” whose negativity is “damaging your country and damaging your players” with a home World Cup looming.

“I think we perform, despite the result, in a very good way,” he told reporters at the Columbus Crew ’s OhioHealth Performance Center, the training facility built on the site of Historic Crew S