SEATTLE (AFP) – United States (US) coach Mauricio Pochettino backed his “high IQ” players not to get carried away after they secured progress to the World Cup knockouts with a win over Australia and sent fans’ hopes soaring.

Thanks to an own goal and an Alex Freeman header, the US have reached the last-32 of the tournament they are co-hosting with a game to spare, winning two group matches for the first time since 1930.

The already-surging hype surrounding the US team’s prospects among the American public sky-rocketed following the 2-0 win over the Socceroos in front of a jubilant crowd in Seattle.

Pochettino’s men could be assured of top place in Group D in just a few hours’ time if other results go their way, but the manager said he trusts his team not to treat next week’s Turkiye clash any differently.

“We need to go for the next one. To be sure that we are going to arrive in good condition, like we arrived in the last two games,” said Pochettino.

His players and staff need to “keep being very tough with ourselves, to push to be better and better every day,” he added.

Pochettino, whose stellar career includes leading Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final and managing the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, said his players have the footballing nous to not let standards slip.

“That is part of being intelligent… For me, the IQ of the players that I have in my squad, they are so high over the average,” he said.

Paraguay meanwhile remain alive in the tournament after their gritty 1-0 victory in Santa Clara that eliminated Turkiye.

Matias Galarza’s strike after just 63 seconds secured all three points for Paraguay in a game that saw the South Americans’ Miguel Almiron become the first player ever to be sent off for covering his mouth while confronting an opponent under new FIFA rules.

The US play Turkiye in a group game next week. Pochettino did not rule out making changes to his team for that clash.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin