IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — U.S. captain Tim Ream says his teammates all recognize the golden opportunity in front of them to make their nation’s best World Cup run in their home tournament over the following days — and hopefully weeks.Yet instead of feeling amplified pressure under the raised expectations created by their strong group round and a groundswell of national support, these Americans appeared to be energized by the opportunity to make history as they broke camp Monday at their training base in Orange County.“Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure at this minute?” Ream said with a grin.“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’ impressive 4-1 win in 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 in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday night. The Americans are significantly favored — which is sort of an achievement in itself, given that this team has won exactly one knockout-round match in its entire World Cup history.
