Orlando City’s Alex Freeman was at the center of a conflict that sparked a massive brawl towards the end of the U.S. men’s national team friendly match vs. Paraguay. But Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t be prouder of how his young defender handled the situation.
Freeman and Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez wrestled for the ball after a whistle and, with tempers running high, their tussle escalated into an all-out melee where punches were thrown left and right. The USMNT eventually won the game 2–1, but for Pochettino, Freeman’s reaction showed how much he cares about defending his team.
“We all feel now very proud in the way that we act and behaved,” Pochettino said on the eve of the USMNT’s match vs. Uruguay. “Alex was good because he was defending and caring about the ball because the referee said the ball was for the U.S. That shows character and that we really care, I really was happy when that happened.
“I think that when the aggression is coming from the other side, we need to defend ourselves. That was a good moment to say, ‘We feel proud in the way that we feel and the way that we are.’ Of course it can be dangerous, I hope it doesn’t happen again. But if people are aggressive with us, we are going to defend ourselves. That is the most important thing.”
