With a squad packed with European-based players and a demanding pre-tournament schedule that includes Germany, the United States will head into the competition with growing belief that they can challenge in front of a home crowd.
So according to the bookies, the USA Men’s National Football Team (USMNT) has a 60-to-1 chance of winning the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which they are hosting alongside their neighbours to the south, Mexico, and to the north, Canada. Decent odds for the side currently ranked the 16th-best national football team in the world by the world game’s governing body, FIFA.
I watched highlights of their cut-throat dismantling of the rightful African champions, Senegal, in a pre-World Cup international friendly match played at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Coached by Russell Crowe doppelgänger Mauricio Pochettino, the Stars and Stripes flew out of the blocks in front of a partisan 58,000 home crowd at the 75,000-capacity venue, grabbing an early seventh-minute lead via the right peg of marauding right full-back Sergiño Dest, who was set up by the poster boy of America’s World Cup campaign, Christian Pulisic.
They extended their lead some 13 minutes later when Pulisic latched on to the end of a Ricardo Pepi cut-back into the six-yard area, setting up the hosts for a strong half-time lead.
