<div>Mauricio Pochettino Compares USA’s Fans To Argentina’s After Win In Seattle</div>

U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino certainly feels the love of coaching one of the host nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And not only does he appreciate it, but Pochettino also made a pretty bold claim about the American fans.

Moments after the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia at Seattle Stadium on Friday, Pochettino compared the team’s fans to one of the top fan bases in international soccer. 

“Amazing. I was just saying yesterday Argentina have amazing fans, but I think we are matching Argentina,” Pochettino told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft. “It’s amazing, our fans. So happy for them.”

The Stars and Stripes certainly gave plenty of reasons for the fans in Seattle to be loud and happy, but they were rambunctious in a way that was pretty unique. The seismic recording following Alex Freeman’s goal showed that the fans at Seattle Stadium caused the ground to shake as the Americans took a 2-0 advantage. 

That goal helped seal the win for the USA, which in turn helped it secure a spot in the round of 32. As the match went final, the crowd at Seattle Stadium began to sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” — and the team joined in on the performance.

That wasn’t the only way the fans showed their appreciation for the team, either. The crowd serenaded Pochettino with chants of his name, and he appeared to be moved during the moment. 

“Even if I’m not American, after the game, I was emotional because the atmosphere was amazing. The fans were amazing,” Pochettino told reporters. “The warm reception and the way they support us and celebrate everybody. They make it feel very emotional. And the players, they were very emotional, too. I think it was an amazing and perfect connection and energy from this town and the team. They make us very proud. 

“I think connecting with the people is what we wanted. If we want to achieve good things, we need the support from our fans. Fans here in Seattle, and in the rest of the country, are supporting us and we feel that support. That’s amazing for the team.”

Beyond Friday’s match, Seattle has been pretty synonymous with loud environments over the years as well. In 2011, the crowd in Seattle made so much noise when Marshawn Lynch rushed for a game-sealing touchdown in the Seahawks’ playoff win over the New Orleans Saints that it registered a small tremor. Something similar happened with the Seahawks this past postseason, with the crowd noise from Rashid Shaheed’s kickoff return touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round also registering on the scale.