Mauricio Pochettino meticulously built USMNT culture of ‘total belief’ in chance at special World Cup run

IRVINE, Calif. — At so many points over the last year, Mauricio Pochettino had to ask people to trust in what he was doing and let his process play out.

The decision to use last summer’s Gold Cup as a testing ground was, in some part, foisted on him — Christian Pulisic declined to go,...