But forgive the Australians, and their World Cup soccer team, for feeling a little ornery going into the July 19 group stage game against the United States in Seattle.
After the World Cup draw was announced last December, Mike Grella, a CBS commentator and former professional player, called the Australia game a “layup” for the United States.
“I look up what Australians are good at—I see cricket, I see rugby, maybe the outback,” he said.
Like any smart team—and fan base—Australia is using smack talk as motivation.
The American players don’t appreciate the fuel pundits have provided. When asked about the comments, they roll their eyes. “All the talk is just nonsense,” says U.S. forward Tim Weah.
Even before the World Cup draw, and the noise, Australia brought some testiness into their soccer dealings with the United States. In the first half of an October friendly between the two sides, played in Colorado, Australia’s Jason Geria slide-tackled Christian Pulisic with extra force, and clipped him again later on, drawing a yellow card. Pulisic, the American star whose status for Friday’s game is somewhat shaky due to an injury he suffered in the Paraguay opener, left the game with a hamstring issue.
The Americans prevailed, 2-1. “We’re Americans, and we don’t take s–t,” says U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, when asked about how Pochettino has shaped the team’s mindset. Berhalter wasn’t on the roster for that friendly, but he saw the speech. “He really drills that into us,” Berhalter says.
The dance kicks off Friday afternoon. “From that game in Colorado, we've changed a lot,” says Weah. “We’ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.”
Expect a fine first-place fight in Seattle.
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