If the U.S. men’s national team wanted any further motivation to beat Canada in Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal in Cincinnati (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1), Reds coach John Herdman offered by insisting his squad “wanted that game against the U.S.”
“That was the one we were looking at,” Herdman mentioned after Canada completed second in Group D to arrange the second elimination match between the North American neighbors in three weeks.
The USMNT, of course, convincingly beat the Canadians 2-0 final month in Las Vegas within the ultimate of the Nations League, a contest for which each nations fielded full-strength lineups.
Before that assembly, Reds defender Alistair Johnston admitted that gamesmanship that has been an intentional half of his nation’s technique in opposition to its burgeoning rival.
“I think that’s one of the reasons we finished on top of World Cup qualifying in our region,” he mentioned of Canada, which final yr returned to soccer’s marquee occasion for the primary time in additional than three a long time. “We were really good at winning not only on the pitch, but also the mind games on and off it.”
Yet if Herdman’s feedback caught a nerve contained in the American locker room, U.S. gamers and staffers have accomplished a very good job hiding it. Asked particularly concerning the opposing supervisor’s phrases by FOX Sports within the leadup to Sunday’s contest, neither beginning goalkeeper Matt Turner nor interim head coach B.J. Callaghan really addressed them straight.
“They’re a well-coached team,” Callaghan mentioned of Canada Saturday throughout his pre-game press convention. “They’re a World Cup-level opponent, so this is exactly the type of match that we want to challenge our group with.”
And this group has loads to show. Turner is the lone member of the Americans’ Gold Cup roster who additionally performed in opposition to Canada final month. The guests may even be severely shorthanded, with each nations’ Europe-based attacking stars getting a wanted relaxation earlier than returning to their membership groups to start preseason coaching later this month.
Yet whereas Canada has sorely missed headliners comparable to Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies, the U.S. has fared simply high-quality minus Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and most of the remaining of its World Cup regulars, posting consecutive 6-0 wins over Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago to clinch the highest spot in Group A. The solely participant on Callaghan’s 23-man squad who did not function within the first spherical was third-string goalkeeper Gaga Slonina. The overwhelming majority of them ran with the chance, too, which can make for tough choices on Sunday.
“This is one of the hardest parts of the job,” Callaghan mentioned. “They all performed really well, so picking tomorrow’s lineup is a big challenge.”
United States vs. Trinidad & Tobago Highlights | CONCACAF Gold Cup
Callaghan mentioned his complete squad educated on Saturday and will probably be out there. That does not essentially imply middle again Miles Robinson will probably be risked after a calf/hamstring problem restricted him to simply 45 group stage minutes. If Robinson, who exited midway via the Americans’ most up-to-date outing, does not begin, count on 19-year-old Jalen Neal to renew his partnership with veteran Matt Miazga in central protection.
There’s no uncertainty up high after ahead Jesús Ferreira exploded for again to again hat tips within the Americans’ final two video games. Ferreira’s aim rush has stored goal striker Brandon Vázquez relegated to a job as an alternative. But Vázquez has additionally stepped up in key moments, scoring the equalizer within the Gold Cup opener in opposition to Jamaica and including one other off the bench to finish the rout of T&T.
“I’m super happy for Jesús,” Vázquez mentioned. “For me, it just makes me hungry. I want to go out there and do the same.”
Playing in Southwestern Ohio provides one other layer of inspiration for Vázquez and Miazga, who each play their membership ball with MLS factors chief FC Cincinnati. In just some quick years, town has established itself as one of essentially the most welcoming venues for the USMNT, which beat Mexico and Morocco there on the way in which to the 2022 World Cup.
“Every time the U.S. has come to Cincinnati,” Miazga mentioned, “It’s always been a good atmosphere, a good crowd.”
Rewarding the followers in attendance at TQL Stadium with a win is all the house workforce is targeted on. A win will maintain the U.S. firmly within the trophy hunt. Anything past that’s simply speak.
“We’re not looking at it as anything more than just the team that we have to play to get to the semifinal — that’s sort of been like our messaging around the camp,” Turner mentioned of Canada. “We understand that there’s a developing history there, games that have gone both ways.
“We’re not taking something without any consideration,” he added. “We know it is gonna take an amazing effort to get the consequence that we would like.”
And the one motivation they want.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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