This wasn't just a World Cup win. It was a recruiting pitch for a nation. And the USMNT's bandwagon is about to tip over
SANTA CLARA, CA — This is the kind of gritty win that’s going to make the country go ga-ga for the U.S. men’s national team.
For those who haven’t already.
Playing with 10 men for the last 36 minutes because of a red card by Folarin Balogun, against a feisty Bosnia and Herzegovina team and with a ref who was overmatched, the USMNT played with the kind of moxie Americans love. Especially when it’s by athletes wearing U-S-A on their chest.
"It's kind of an adrenaline rush whenever you do go down to 10 men because you're like, 'Oh (shoot). If we can pull off this win and hold them to zero goals, it's even bigger.' So everyone's running everywhere and tackling and just making sure we keep our structure because we don't want to give up a goal," Weston McKennie said.
"It'd be easy to have an excuse if they did score, but that's not the type of team we are," he added. "We know what we're capable of, and I'm just really proud of every player. ... I think throughout this tournament it's been very visible to see how close this group is, and I think it shows in moments like that."
The 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 was the USMNT's first win in a World Cup knockout round game since 2002, and only third ever. They moved on to the round of 16, where they will play Belgium on Monday, July 6 in Seattle.
Their 10 goals so far is now a USMNT record, for the entire tournament, and they have kept clean sheets in two of their last three games. They also snapped a 10-game losing streak to teams from Europe.
If all that doesn't get people excited, they must be watching baseball or golf.
Officially, the USMNT won this game because they defended their butts off — remember when the back line was considered suspect? — and Malik Tillman gave them breathing room with a dazzler of a goal in the 82nd minute, curling a free kick into the upper corner of the net. But it’s their tenacity that has them moving on, and that's what is going to make their bandwagon tip over.
It’s a holiday weekend. The Fourth of July, no less. By the time Sunday night rolls around, this USMNT win is going to be the stuff of lore. They’ll have been playing with arms tied behind their backs, against Bosnia and Herzegovina players who are 7 feet tall. They’ll have been heavy underdogs, the plane reservations home already made.
That this is a game the Americans were supposed to win will not matter. We'll giddily embellish what the USMNT did because that's what we do as American sports fans. When we fall for a team, we go all in. A public that had already caught World Cup fever is going to love this team as if the players are their family members, and no one is going to tolerate any reality checks.
"There's still more that we want to accomplish. This is another game, a good performance. And now we have to go and prepare and get ready for the next one," Christian Pulisic said.
The USMNT believed in itself all along. Coach Mauricio Pochettino's mantra is "Why not us?" and his players have bought into it.
"We've all talked about it. We all say it. 'Why not us?'" captain Tim Ream said. "Everybody else has the feeling of, 'OK, they want to win the tournament.' Why can't we? Why not? So, it's taken hold."
Here's the thing, though. Confidence feeds on itself.
If you start with self-belief and then win games, and play well while doing so, it's like a snowball rolling downhill. It picks up momentum and grows and grows and grows. The USMNT was already feeding off the raucous home crowds in Los Angeles, Seattle and Santa Clara; the stands at Levi's Stadium remained full as the team spent several minutes walking around the field to acknowledge fans, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Free Bird" blaring over the loudspeakers.
Now imagine that "12th man" being the entire country.
"We want to continue to try and make history. We want to change the sport here in America," McKennie said. "I feel like we've been doing that and we have a chance to make it even bigger."
A gritty performance like this is a great way to win over this country.
Source: USA Today