Poch hails 'great' Navas ahead of Gold Cup reunion

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- United States men's nationalist squad manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas arsenic "one of the champion successful the world" up of Sunday's Gold Cup quarterfinal betwixt the U.S. and the Ticos.

Pochettino managed Navas erstwhile the 2 were astatine Paris Saint-Germain during the 2021-22 season, a run that saw PSG assertion a home double. That play besides coincided with the accomplishment of Gianluigi Donnarumma, though Navas inactive managed 26 league and cupful appearances.

Navas present plays for Argentine broadside Newell's Old Boys, the aforesaid nine wherever Pochettino began his playing career. Now Pochettino volition beryllium attempting to halt Navas from starring Costa Rica into the semifinals.

"My representation with Keylor, astonishing due to the fact that I deliberation [back] erstwhile we met determination astatine Paris Saint- Germain, and I deliberation ever we respect him, his mentality and his quality," Pochettino said during his pre-match quality conference. "It's going to beryllium a fantastic infinitesimal to stock time with him. He's a large player, he's a large keeper, 1 of the champion connected the world. And yes, evidently it is simply a joyousness to spot him and anticipation that we person amended luck than him and Costa Rica"

Pochettino added that helium is expecting a hard lucifer against Costa Rica, who person agelong proved a hard foe for the USMNT. The U.S. holds an all-time grounds of 20-17-6 against the Ticos . That doesn't fig to alteration against a Costa Rica broadside present managed by erstwhile Mexico manager Miguel Herrera.

"Watching video of them that we person is we expect them to beryllium aggressive," said Pochettino. "We expect them to fight, to conflict for everything, and that's the mode astir of these games go. So the radical games were a bully sensation of what is to come, but this crippled is ramped up exponentially. So we expect it to beryllium a precise pugnacious carnal hostile that arsenic agelong arsenic we lucifer and transcend their aggressivity, we volition beryllium each right."

That conflict figures to beryllium particularly aggravated successful midfield wherever Pochettino has a enactment dilemma connected his hands. Johnny Cardoso didn't bid with the squad connected Saturday owed to an ankle injury, with Pochettino saying that helium volition "see if helium tin beryllium connected the seat oregon not."

That apt leaves Pochettino to prime from Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter and Luca de la Torre. He didn't regularisation retired utilizing each three.

"I deliberation we person midfielders that tin play together," Pochettino said. "Then possibly we tin usage the 3 oregon two, the antithetic operation players ... This is 1 of the possibilities."

But Pochettino voiced has assurance successful his young side, 1 shorn of galore archetypal prime players owed to injury, nine commitments and fatigue.

"Yes, we are ready," helium said. "We volition hole truly well. And present time is our show."

Costa Rica volition beryllium missing their apical scorer successful the tournament, striker Manfred Ugalde, and starting wingback Joseph Mora owed to yellowish paper accumulation portion Jeyland Mitchell, Ariel Lassiter and Warren Madrigal are retired with injuries.