Seventy-two hours earlier than an enormous match towards Ghana, members of the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce mentioned the Brazil-Croatia match, Fred’s dive, and their eagerness to get issues began.
BY
John Godfrey
Posted
June 13, 2014
12:39 PM
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SAO PAOLO, Brazil—Jurgen Klinsmann elected to not maintain a full observe on Friday the thirteenth.
Superstition? A matter of logistics? Just a little of each?
Or maybe the nationwide workforce was, like Sao Paolo itself, experiencing a slight World Cup hangover. The fast-paced metropolis appeared positively sleepy Friday, and the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce appeared to be having fun with its time away from the coaching pitch.
It is honest to say that no person on the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce obtained injured throughout Friday’s morning health club session, and the percentages are that the workforce will come by unscathed at this afternoon’s seaside run in Natal.
A half-dozen U.S. gamers met with the media exterior the workforce resort at present, however there wasn’t a lot to speak about. Many of the conversations centered on what the gamers watched on TV final night time—Brazil’s controversy-marred 3-1 victory over Croatia within the 2014 World Cup opener.
And diving.
“I’ve got no problem with the Brazilian player going down,” U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard mentioned. “I would encourage my own players, if they felt contact, to go down. It’s the referee’s job and obligation and responsibility to get it right.”
When Graham Zusi was requested about Fred’s theatrical fall within the penalty space, he jokingly mentioned that he practices his diving approach for quarter-hour after each observe. However then he obtained critical and mentioned he is not a fan of the tactic.
Diving “exists in all leagues across the world, but as far as I’m concerned I’d like it to not be there,” Graham Zusi mentioned. “I’ve never really incorporated [diving] into my game.”
Backup goalkeeper Brad Guzan acknowledged that the gamers made fairly a little bit of noise once they noticed the slow-motion replays of the dive, “But you could hear more shouts and screams coming from the streets outside.”
Jermaine Jones did not have a lot to say concerning the play: “It’s not my decision, it’s not my group. So I don’t really care.”
What the gamers do care about, definitely, is getting on the sphere and taking part in. Whereas the World Cup is in full gear, the U.S. nonetheless has to attend till Monday to sq. off with Ghana in its opener. You might sense the joy, and maybe a slight tinge of frustration, within the gamers.
“We’re all itching to be out on the field,” Zusi mentioned. “We had an exciting time last night watching the first game and we want to be doing the same thing. I think our preparations are on point and we’re ready to get going.”
“There’s a real buzz about it,” Guzan agreed. “We’re ready to get things started. The World Cup is only once every four years, and we’re in a position now to hopefully surprise some people and set some exciting times for U.S. Soccer.”
Whereas there have been a number of studies of protests in Sao Paolo—and elsewhere in Brazil—none of that appears to be bothering the gamers within the slightest. The gamers appeared calm, lighthearted, and even jocular three days earlier than one of many greatest video games of their careers.
“I haven’t seen riots,” Howard mentioned. “I’ve heard fireworks go off, but I’ve been up in the hotel, relaxing. I’ve been sleeping comfortably for the last week, no traffic problems, everything has been great.”
Howard, apparently, has been sleeping extraordinarily effectively. He even dozed off through the Brazil-Croatia match.
“Yeah we train hard,” Jones said with a smirk, “and Timmy’s like a little bit older so he has to sleep.”
John Godfrey is the founder and editor in chief of American Soccer Now.
