MAURICIO POCHETTINO named a Premier League icon’s son on the USA bench in their match against South Korea.
The Argentine manager’s side were beaten 2-0 by the visitors at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New York on Saturday.
The result came despite the Americans dominating much of the game as Son Heung-min and Lee Dong-gyeong both scored.
But one of the biggest talking points of the game was about a particular player on the US bench.
Jonathan Klinsmann was named in the squad as one of the back-up goalkeepers to Matt Freese.
The stopper is the son of Premier League and Germany World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann.
The two-time Tottenham Hotspur star was in attendance for the game, hoping to see his son make his bow on the international stage.
Klinsmann Jr, 28, has earned his spot in the national squad following his performances for Cesena in the Italian second division.
He made the move to Italy in 2024 after leaving LA Galaxy when the team was still in Serie C.
He made one appearance in the third division before becoming a regular starter following their promotion to Serie B.
The goalkeeper had plenty of options for who to represent at the international level.
He could have gone for Germany through his former Bayern Munich playing father.
But his mother, Debbie Chin, would have allowed him to represent China, Hong Kong and the USA.
Of course, it is the USA that he has opted for and will be hopeful of earning a spot in the squad for next summer’s World Cup.
Klinsmann Sr won a World Cup during his playing days with West Germany.
He was in the team that lifted the trophy in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in 1990 alongside the likes of Rudi Voller and Lothar Matthaus.
The retired striker also captained Die Mannschaft to glory in the European Championships in 1996 – a tournament his son will never play in.
At club level, he won two Uefa Cups and the Bundesliga with Bayern.
He then made a splash in the Premier League with 38 Spurs goals and his iconic ‘diving’ celebration.
Klinsmann Jr has previously spoken about the impact on him of having such a famous name in football.
He told Destination Calcio: “I wouldn’t say it is difficult.
“It definitely presents some challenges that other people might not have but it also opens other doors.
“I think having him as a kind of mentor with the amount of experience he has, the knowledge he has about the game and dealing with so many different situations.
“He has been through all of that and he has helped me a lot, not only on the field but off the field as well.
“Mentally, how to deal with so many different situations. So I think by far it outweighs any negative pressure that might come with it.”
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