Seattle, July 7 -- United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino called for patience following his side's elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying the team had made considerable progress over the past year despite its Round of 16 defeat to Belgium, according to The Athletic.

Addressing reporters after the United States' disappointing 4-1 loss, Pochettino rejected the idea that closing the gap on the world's leading football nations could happen overnight, stressing that development is a gradual process.

"The improvement or growth is not like you are in a rocket and you improve and go like this (upwards). One year ago, before the Gold Cup, no one believed we could arrive today against Belgium, one of the contenders to win the Worl...