The USMNT takes on Belgium on July 6 with a place in the World Cup quarterfinals on the line.
This World Cup represents one of the best opportunities for the United States to prove it belongs among the world's elite soccer nations. Backed by passionate home support and led by an experienced manager in Mauricio Pochettino, the squad has all the ingredients to make a deep run in the tournament.
The team's best performance in the modern era came at the 2002 World Cup, when it reached the quarterfinals. Now, the USMNT has a chance to match that achievement—and potentially go one step further.
With so much at stake, it's no surprise that Pochettino is leaving nothing to chance. That became even more apparent after reports that someone was seen filming the area before the United States' match against Australia two weeks ago.
Determined to prevent a repeat of that incident, the former PSG manager has reportedly taken extra security measures ahead of the Belgium clash.
Pochettino Taking No Chances
According to reports, Pochettino has installed blacked-out fences around the USMNT's training base at the University of Washington's Husky Soccer Stadium to shield training sessions from outside view.
REUTERS/Daniel Cole
When asked about the decision, Pochettino said the precaution was necessary because "we are in an era of spies."
"I wanted to see because we are in an era of spies... it was a good opportunity to see.”
Pochettino also acknowledged the challenge Belgium presents but said he is confident the home crowd can help push the USMNT over the line.
"We are going to respect Belgium. With our fans in Seattle, I think we can be very competitive and, of course, try to win the game and advance to the next round. For that to happen, we need to perform well.”
