That “connection between the fans and the team,” Pochettino said, “that is the connection that we [would] like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly.”

The team’s response to Tillman’s miss was just what Pochettino wanted to see from his squad. “That means a lot. It means that we are connected, that we care about [our] team

Matt Freese faced heavy criticism after his mistake in the final group stage match against Haiti in the Gold Cup. Many suggested Mauricio Pochettino should replace him with veteran Matt Turner — but that didn’t happen in the quarter-final clash against Costa Rica.