IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. national team already knew it was going to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience this month as the home team for the World Cup.
But when 26 players took to the field at Orange County’s Great Park on Monday to the cheers of thousands of fans who had gathered just to watch practice, they were reminded just how special this opportunity can be if they seize it.
Americans expressed confidence and excitement They have settled into a training base in Southern California for at least the next three weeks. team Mustered out in Georgia last month before playing 2 friendly matches In the last 8 days.
All three of the USA’s World Cup group stage games will be played on the West Coast, starting with the opening game against Paraguay on Friday night at SoFi Stadium, a palatial NFL arena about 80 miles away in Inglewood, California.
“I think the group is in a really good place right now,” U.S. captain Tim Ream said. “I can’t say we’re all overwhelmed, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the excitement and buzz around the team and the stadium. Arriving here with 5,500 fans ready to watch the training sessions is incredible. I think we’re in a good place mentally right now. It’s been a long two weeks, a tough two weeks, but the players are in a great place mentally, physically and emotionally and ready to go.”
In Irvine, the team was greeted by a line of enthusiastic fans who were selected from among 32,000 applicants to win a multi-stage lottery for the chance to watch practice and get autographs at FIFA’s Community Day event. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino entertained the crowd and earned the title “USA!”. chant while his team did a quick workout in the gym before taking to the turf.
“The facilities are fantastic,” Pochettino said. “It’s more than we expected and not only the facility but the people who work here are amazing. Great facilities and great people are a great combination. We are grateful and want to say a big thank you.”
Fans waited in long security lines at the vast stadium early in the morning to get a closer look at a team that is not among the favorites but has millions of supporters in a country where soccer’s popularity has soared since its last visit to the World Cup in 1994. The Americans’ training stadium is the usual home of USL Championship Second Division club Orange County SC, but it didn’t exist 30 years ago.
“I’m old enough that I remember bits and pieces of 1994,” said Ream, 38, who grew up in St. Louis and had a long career as a defender in England and the United States, and now plays for Major League Soccer’s Charlotte, which didn’t have its first season until 1996.
“So I’ve been trying to get the message out to the players that this is a once-in-a-career opportunity, and with that comes a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure,” Reem added. “But we have to enjoy it. No one has more expectations and pressure than us, and that’s the way it should be. For me, it’s just about opening your eyes and taking it all in, because this is unique. This is completely different than anything any of us have experienced. So embrace it, take it all in, because it’s so unique, so special, and it’s not something we’ll ever do again.”
What impressed me the most during the training was Top defender Chris Richards plays full timeinjured his left ankle while playing for Crystal Palace last month. Richards did not play in the two friendlies, but his full return to practice is another hopeful sign in a roster plan that is expected to be finalized Thursday night.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
