SEATTLE (United States) — Could the United States really win the World Cup?
After two opening victories, by an aggregate 6-1 scoreline, that is the wildly optimistic question being posed to many US television pundits, including Fox’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who answered a simple “Yes.”
While aware they are still vast underdogs against traditional powerhouses like Spain, France and Argentina, the US players were not exactly afraid to stoke those hugely ambitious dreams either, after beating Australia 2-0 Friday.
“I think we came here to compete, and to compete, you have to win every game,” US star midfielder Malik Tillman told AFP in Seattle after the win.
“In the end, if you want to win the tournament, same again, you have to win every game. I think that’s also our goal for the next one.”
So far, the US have only faced limited opposition in Paraguay, who they beat 4-1, and Australia. Next up is eliminated Turkey, in what will be a dead rubber for both teams.
Sterner tests surely await in the knockout, with Belgium and then Spain among the likeliest foes in wait if the US win their last-32 clash.
It is worth noting that the US has only won one knockout game in their entire World Cup history — a 2-0 win over Mexico in the round-of-16 in 2002, when they reached the quarter-finals in their best campaign of modern times.
World Cup hosts do have an impressive track record of lifting the trophy on their home turf.
Six have won in the tournament’s history, most recently France in 1998, who followed up that inaugural win by building a dynasty and reaching three more finals.
But no host winners have ever been such extreme long shots as the US, perennially seen as potential future giants of untapped promise, too distracted by homegrown sports like NFL, basketball and baseball to truly compete at the world’s most popular sport.
‘Why not us?’
If that has started to change, the rapid rise of the domestic Major Soccer League has played a part, providing homegrown talent like Friday’s goalscorer Alex Freeman.
So too has the emergence of a “golden generation” of stars playing for Champions League clubs, like AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and Bayer Leverkusen’s Tillman.
But perhaps no factor has been as great as the expensive hiring of elite coach Mauricio Pochettino, who deconstructed and rebuilt an underperforming, complacent squad in his own image.
US and Crystal Palace center-half Chris Richards praised the former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager’s track record and motivational powers for instilling belief.
“We’ve seen him do it with big teams, and he’s very passionate in the way that he speaks,” said Richards.
“It kind of reflects on us as well. So, we take that passion and we try to apply it to how we go out there on the pitch.”
While urging his players to remain grounded and focused, Pochettino has urged fans to dream, frequently asking “Why not us?” in public comments.
So, does Richards really believe the US could pull off what would be comfortably the greatest upset World Cup win in modern history?
“Obviously we take it one game at a time,” said Richards.
But “I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that we want to win it,” he said.
