The United States Men’s Soccer team has captured the hearts of the country, and eyes from foreign nations are taking notice. This team expects to win every match. How that plays out over the next couple of weeks will depend on their Wednesday night matchup against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
They might not be the hottest team in the World Cup; that distinction falls to France, but the American team is at the core of the DNA that makes soccer in this country so great. For decades, Team USA has been a disappointment on the world stage at the greatest soccer event, but their current run has fans and players believing they can advance and make a legit run to become the best team in the World Cup.
In the most recent Winter Olympics, Team USA beat Canada in overtime to win gold for America. It was the first time that had happened since the Miracle on Ice squad in Lake Placid.
Could this be the year of America?
After all, on Saturday we’re celebrating our 250th year as a country. The price has been impressive coast to coast, and many have caught soccer fever.
Tonight, Team USA faces a pesky Bosnia-Herzegovina squad with one goal – to upset the American hosts. To thwart that, Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has installed a calm message to his players.
He spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said that staying focused and unaffected by whatever happens on the soccer field could go a long way toward how far Team USA can advance in the World Cup.
I must admit, I didn’t know much about Pochettino before the World Cup, but I didn’t know anything about Herb Brooks in 1980 either.
If I were to be honest, the path for Team USA to reach the Semifinals is brutal unless we see multiple upsets in the upper half of the bracket. France looks unbeatable, Spain could face Team USA if they win their next two matches, and Argentina awaits as a potential finals opponent.
That’s not an easy path, but when the 1980 Men’s Hockey Team opened play by defeating Czechoslovakia (the Third-Ranked Team in the World), something changed. When Team USA Soccer won the first two matches of group play, something changed as well.
Expectations are the narrative now because, in the end, with win-or-go-home rounds that will crown the World Cup Champion, there’s no doubt that every US Soccer fan believed tonight’s matchup would be a victory for the host country.
I’m not going to argue that point. The Round of 32 has been a vast success, and upsets are plentiful. Team USA better remove the noise and stay laser-focused.
If they can do that, avoid sloppy plays defensively, yellow cards, or worse, falling behind early in the match, then it’ll be a tense ride. However, if they take the approach of Mexico, who won their Round of 32 match Tuesday night against Ecuador 2-0, they executed a perfect plan to draw their opponent out of position defensively, which led to breakaway goals.
Team USA has speed, and they need to use it because that’s what makes them special. As the heavy favorite, they can’t be passive, and if the opportunity to run presents itself, that’s a path to victory.
In a few hours, we’ll know our answer.
Prediction:
USA 3 – Bosnia-Herzegovina 1
