USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino called out American sports for rewarding 'losers'

When Mauricio Pochettino agreed to sign on as head coach of the U.S. men's national team, he was getting an opportunity to experience a sporting culture that he had never participated in firsthand.

>It didn't take long for Pochettino to notice a longstanding systemic problem with how professional sports league function in this country.

>Speaking to reporters Tuesday ahead of the USMNT's second World Cup group stage match against Australia, Pochettino was asked about what kind of style he'd like Americans to play. His answer, though, touched on how U.S. sports build complacency as a culture. He said in Spanish via El Pais:

“Their culture is playful. They want to play. We told them, “Guys, playing soccer is one thing, competing is another.” They’re two completely different sports. They grow up in a culture of playing. Why? If you start in MLS and you haven’t won a game in three months and you’re at the bottom, what’s the consequence if there’s no promotion or relegation, no international competition? American sports reward losers! But soccer is different: if you reward those who don’t win… If you don’t have goals, you don’t fight. If I lose, what happens? Nothing. They just fire the coach. Also, the American player is disciplined. But with a sense of complacency that isn’t good in soccer. It took us a year and a half to change that mentality.”

And he makes a fair point. The fact that American pro sports — particularly MLS — doesn't have promotion and relegation holds back the growth of domestic leagues. MLS essentially functions as an investment vehicle that gives playoff spots to 18 of 30 teams in the league.

>If you finish at the bottom, there's no consequence for the players or the club, really. There's no urgency or fight. And while second-division USL did form a promotion-relegation system with USL Championship, League One and League Two, it doesn't feed into MLS. So, there's nothing to play for at the top besides simply a league title.

>And given the influence that MLS and Don Garber have within the U.S. Soccer Federation, it took guts for Pochettino to say that. But really, it needed to be said. The system has to change at some point.

>This article originally appeared on For The Win: USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said that American sports 'reward losers'