IRVINE, Calif. — U.S. captain Tim Ream says his teammates all acknowledge the golden alternative in entrance of them to make their nation’s finest World Cup run of their house match over the next days — and hopefully weeks.
Yet as an alternative of feeling amplified strain beneath the raised expectations created by their sturdy group spherical and a groundswell of nationwide assist, these Americans gave the impression to be energized by the chance to make historical past as they broke camp Monday at their coaching base in Orange County.
“Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure at this minute?” Ream stated with a smile.
“I think we felt more pressure for that first game against Paraguay than anything, and that’s coming from ourselves, not from anything on the outside,” Ream added, referring to the Americans’ spectacular 4-1 win of their World Cup opener on June 12. “We just have to put in a performance the way we have in the group stage, and then we see where that takes us.”
The U.S. faces Bosnia-Herzegovina within the spherical of 32 in Santa Clara, California, tonight. The Americans are considerably favored — which is type of an achievement in itself, provided that this crew has received precisely one knockout-round match in its complete World Cup historical past.
United States’ Giovanni Reyna, heart left, Antonee Robinson, heart, and Tyler Adams observe throughout a coaching session forward of their FIFA World Cup match in opposition to Bosnia in Irvine, Calif., Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
But these Americans are on the worldwide stage with extra optimism and sure extra expertise than practically all earlier editions of this crew. Whether that interprets into a deep run continues to be to be determined, however the Americans’ confidence and pleasure is plain.
“The game is going to be about us and what we’re prepared to do, and what we have to do to advance,” U.S. striker Folarin Balogun stated. “It’s crunch time. This is the business end, and this is the stage where, in my opinion, the big players step forward and the big players carry the pressure and make things happen.”
Although the Americans reached the semifinals on the inaugural World Cup in 1930 by successful their group, their solely knockout victory got here on the 2002 match after they beat Mexico within the spherical of 16.
Tim Ream says the US crew felt extra strain on the final World Cup in Qatar
The 38-year-old Ream believes the Americans felt extra strain 4 years in the past in Qatar, after they muddled by group play earlier than getting blasted 3-1 by the Netherlands within the first knockout spherical.
Those Americans weren’t led by achieved Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has made sturdy tactical developments and clearly instilled many of his gamers with a brand new form of confidence after earlier U.S. cycles have been spent beneath extra parochial teaching.
They additionally didn’t have Balogun, the elite goal-scorer who made a serious influence on the Americans’ victories over Paraguay and Australia by a mixed 6-1, clinching their group in type and rendering their third match meaningless.
Folarin Balogun taking in American tradition throughout the World Cup
Balogun’s influence is plain on the sphere, however the Brooklyn-born, London-raised ahead can also be a focus away from the sphere. This World Cup cycle has been his first important publicity to U.S. tradition, and that’s an limitless supply of amusement and perception for his teammates.
“He says America is a simulation quite often,” defender Mark McKenzie stated with amusing. “We’ll be driving down the road and he’ll see something and be like, ‘What is that? Why is an individual dressed like that, or why are they throwing a sign up in the air on the corner? What is Bojangles?’ It’s stuff like that, where he’s like, ‘Bro! America! What is going on?’”
Many of the highest Americans now play their membership soccer internationally — one other apparent issue on this crew’s improved competitiveness on this World Cup. Defender Chris Richards, an Alabama native who performs in London for Crystal Palace, says his crew is extra mature and extra examined than most earlier editions of the U.S. roster as a result of of its expertise in any respect ranges of the game.
And rely Richards amongst those that discover Balogun’s tradition shock to be a hilarious distraction throughout the down time on worldwide breaks and this World Cup cycle.
“I think (Balogun) still has this notion that he says Americans aren’t real,” Richards stated. “There’s some stuff that we do that doesn’t fly back in London. It’s a lot to learn and especially when you’re only here for a few weeks at a time. It’s been cool (for Balogun) being able to see different pockets of America.”
Cristian Roldan and Auston Trusty do modified coaching forward of spherical of 32
NOTES: Injured gamers Cristian Roldan (quadriceps pressure) and Auston Trusty (ankle) did modified coaching whereas their teammates went by a full exercise Monday, however McKenzie (foot irritation) remained sidelined for a second straight day. Roldan hasn’t performed at this World Cup, whereas Trusty scored within the Americans’ 3-2 loss to Turkey earlier than he rolled his ankle late within the match. Roldan was on the sphere doing drills for the second straight day. McKenzie is getting therapy away from observe. None of the three injured Americans was anticipated to play a serious position within the knockout rounds.