The USMNT topped Group D with victories over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), before resting key players for a 3-2 dead-rubber loss to Turkey. They enter Wednesday's game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara as heavy favourites against a Bosnia side ranked 46 places below them who snuck through as one of the best third-placed finishers in Group B.
But the round of 32 has already produced shocks — Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties, and Brazil were taken to stoppage time before beating Japan.
Pochettino refused to take anything for granted at his pre-match press conference.
"This is the final of the World Cup. If we don't think in this way, I think we are going to struggle.
"I think we have seen already in all the games after the group stage how difficult it is. No one game was easy for no one. We don't have another opportunity if we fail."
He continued: "If we were capable to go through, the next one is going to be another final of the World Cup. That is our mindset and our mentality. We are in a final."
Pochettino pushed back on the idea that the USA were favourites.
"Everyone says the favorite is Germany, but Paraguay beat them. Brazil and Japan — how difficult it was. In this World Cup we need to be careful when we say one is favorite and another not. I understand that maybe because we are USA and we host the World Cup. We are here and maybe we have the fans on our side, but I think we have full respect for Bosnia and Herzegovina. If we want to win and go to the next stage, we need to perform at our best."
He urged his players to manage the emotional intensity of a knockout home game.
"Because we won two games, and people maybe were surprised about our performance, now we are a big star. I think that is the most important — not to be confused and approach the competition the same way. A game like tomorrow is 90 percent, maybe 85 percent emotional. If we can reduce that and put in 70 or 60 or 50 percent, if we reduce the emotional and more about the play, I think it's much better."
Pochettino cited a conversation with Argentine World Cup winner Jorge Valdano as guidance for his players.
"Relaxation brings concentration," Valdano told him.
Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified as one of eight best third-placed teams following a 3-1 win over Qatar, having earlier drawn with Canada and lost 4-1 to Switzerland. Their veteran striker Edin Dzeko — 40 years old and Bosnia's all-time leading scorer with 73 international goals — remains their primary threat.
The USMNT have not won a World Cup knockout match since their quarter-final run in 2002.