Forward of Tuesday’s spherical of 16 match with Belgium, the US males’s soccer crew spoke as if one, conveying respect for a gifted Belgium aspect, and confidence that it might win.
BY
John Godfrey
Posted
June 29, 2014
10:22 AM
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SAO PAOLO—The primary time a Jurgen Klinsmann-led U.S. nationwide crew confronted Belgium, in Brussels in September 2011, the People began sturdy however finally succumbed to a greater organized, extra gifted crew.
A year-and-a-half later, in Cleveland, an aggressive Belgium squad totally dominated the Yanks, profiting from some lackluster defending to win 4-2.
The 2 groups had deliberate a 3rd conflict, a closed-door scrimmage simply previous to the start of the 2014 World Cup, however visitors considerations on this large, messy metropolis in southern Brazil pressured the groups to cancel.
On Tuesday, nonetheless, it’s sport on.
This iteration of the U.S. nationwide crew will get its third shot at beating the Belgiums in Salvador, Brazil (4 p.m. ET, ESPN). And regardless of these previous two defeats, there’s a plain feeling of confidence emanating all through the complete squad.
“We have absolutely no fear at all,” stated Klinsmann, fairly presumably essentially the most confident man within the southern hemisphere. “We feel like we are in a position now to challenge [them]. We believe we have built a foundation in our team that we are able to beat them.”
Previous historical past, scrimmage, no scrimmage—Klinsmann stated none of it issues now.
“In these circumstances the place the visitors was so dangerous in Sao Paulo it will’ve taken them greater than two-and-a-half hours to get to the coaching floor right here,” he said at the FC Sao Paolo training center. “I believe both method it doesn’t matter.
“I imply we all know their crew. We performed them twice within the final three years. We’re very acquainted with this very sturdy crew. It’s considered one of type of the key favorites on this World Cup due to the gamers, particular person gamers, that they’ve. However now comes lots of different components to it. Which means complete focus, peak on the proper time now, name all the pieces you’ve gotten in your self and be prepared for 120 minutes plus penalty shootout.
“We’re trying ahead to it.”
It is honest to say that 4 years in the past the U.S. would have been a large underdog towards a talent-laden squad like Belgium—partially as a result of the crew is full of so many large skills who play for large golf equipment. Marouane Fellaini patrols the central midfield for Manchester United. Defender Vincent Kompany captains Manchester Metropolis. Eden Hazard, a Chelsea attacker, is taken into account one of many rising stars in all of Europe.
Tim Howard, who performs for Everton within the English Premier League, is a one-man scouting report on the Belgians:
On former Everton teammate Romelu Lukaku: “He was unbelievable. He was sturdy. He was highly effective. He led the road properly. You already know, for us, we actually preferred having Rom round as a result of he got here from an enormous, large membership with lots of expectations. The second he got here into the dressing room, he was prepared to bleed for the shirt and the fellows revered him for that. He’s a younger child and he’s at all times desirous to study and get higher and that was an enormous plus for us.”
On Hazard: “He’s one of probably 100 players who have scored against me. Welcome to the club. Hazard, I think he’s probably one of the best players in the Premier League. He’s shifty. He’s crafty. He’s everything you want in a winner.”
On Thibaut Courtois: “Arguably he’s making a case for being [one of] the top three goalkeepers in the world, and he’s so young. I enjoy watching him play. I think he’s been exciting. I love watching good, top goalkeepers.”
On Kompany: “He’s known as one of the better captains and leaders and he seems to will that team on at times. He’s what you want from a captain: he’s always out there, he’s always leading the troops. Sometimes he has to lead by example and, as a defender, that’s hard, but he finds a way to do it. Hard tackling, stepping in and winning goals, driving the team forward. He’s fantastic.”
The knock on Belgium is that it’s a crew filled with particular person skills that generally performs at a degree beneath the sum of its elements. It received all three of its group stage contests, however didn’t play significantly properly in any of them.
That, and lots of gamers are nursing knocks—particularly defenders.
Proper again Anthony Vanden Borre has a damaged fibula and can miss the remainder of the event. Kompany (groin) was held out of current coaching classes and should not play Tuesday. Beginning left again Thomas Vermaelan (thigh) can be doubtful. Even backup heart again Laurent Ciman is a query mark.
Bodily illnesses aren’t the one problem confronting Belgium. Lukaku, 21, a budding star at Chelsea, was benched within the crew’s group stage match towards Korea, and he wasn’t joyful about it.
As a result of accidents, dissension, and a really younger squad with none prior World Cup expertise, Belgium appears, in a phrase, beatable.
Recognizing the considerations inside his crew, Belgian coach Marc Wilmotts calls the match with the U.S, a “50-50 game.”
American gamers did not supply any numerical evaluations, however they did present quotes that conveyed respect, confidence, and the sense that they had been all on the very same web page.
“They’re obviously a top team and we’ll need to be at our best,” U.S. captain Clint Dempsey stated in Recife, Brazil, simply after the U.S. discovered it had superior. “But at the same time, what’s beautiful about the knockout stages is that you’ve got to bring it on that day. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the tournament [prior to that match]. You’ve got to make sure you can bring it, and if we do I think we can do well.”
“All around the field they are very talented, from the back to the front, to the wide mids, they have a lot of talent and they can hurt you in many different ways,” Omar Gonzalez stated in Sao Paolo sooner or later later. “They have big strikers that can hold onto the ball and good pace.”
“They’re super talented,” Tim Howard stated. “Those guys, whether they have World Cup experience or not, a lot of their team plays at really big clubs in Europe and when you’re playing in the Champions League, there’s almost nothing like it outside of the World Cup. So they’ve got a ton of experience.”
“As a team we feel like we have a good understanding of what they are all about and the way they play and what kind of makes them go,” Michael Bradley chimed in. “We’ll use these few days to speak, to observe a little bit bit and be able to step on the sphere towards an excellent crew.”
If all the above phrases sound as if they might have come out of Klinsmann’s mouth, properly, that may be very a lot the id of this United States nationwide crew. The coach is a micromanager, particularly by way of coping with the press, and there is a cause that the U.S. Soccer Federation adopted the #OneNationOneTeam slogan/hashtag.
The mantra: Respect your opponents. Stick collectively. Comply with the script. And, most of all, consider in your self.
“We had the opportunity to play them twice in the last three years, both times they came out as the winning team,” Klinsmann stated. “But, we also believe that we have enough confidence now going into this game, a very special one, a knockout game, to say we are able to beat them.”
WIll the US use its expertise and unity to beat the Belgians? Will the extra gifted crew prevail? Share your ideas beneath.
John Godfrey is the founder and editor in chief of American Soccer Now.
