United States men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino had some fiery words for the growing number of critics, telling reporters on Monday that those passing judgment on his squad are talking about “bulls–t” and calling the negativity “shameful.”

The staunch defense came during a press conference ahead of the USMNT’s friendly against Japan on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, and after criticism of the program grew following an ugly loss to South Korea on Saturday in Harrison, New Jersey.

Saturday’s loss — a 2-0 defeat in front of a largely pro-South Korea contingent at Sports Illustrated Stadium — was the USMNT’s sixth in 2025 and raised plenty of concerns with the 2026 World Cup less than 10 months away. 3

The USMNT coach used a question about center back Chris Richards to launc

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