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Seth Jahn says U.S. men's squad is 'uniquely poised' up of FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup kicks disconnected today, pinch erstwhile U.S. Soccer Federation Athletes Council personnel Seth Jahn discussing nan tournament. Jahn emphasizes nan U.S. team's home-field advantage and elite European talent, predicting a successful run. He highlights nan unsocial instrumentality excitement and anticipated support from nan American Outlaws, creating a powerful ambiance for nan games.
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For nan first clip successful 32 years, nan United States men’s shot squad will beryllium playing a World Cup crippled connected location ungraded Friday night.
The fame of nan athletics successful nan U.S. changed dramatically pursuing nan 1994 World Cup, owed mostly to nan Stars and Stripes making it to nan knockout information for nan first clip since 1934. It could beryllium déjà vu this twelvemonth (the New York Knicks were successful nan NBA Finals nan past clip nan U.S. hosted), arsenic this year’s squad is astir apt nan champion successful caller memory.
Now, squad legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard aren't going arsenic acold arsenic to opportunity they will triumph it all, but they are surely not ruling retired a "magical summer."
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U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan celebrates pinch striker Jozy Altidore and goalkeeper Tim Howard aft their 1-0 triumph successful nan Group C first information lucifer astatine nan 2010 World Cup connected June 23 astatine Loftus Versfeld Stadium successful Tshwane, South Africa. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP)
"I'm not judge they're tin of winning it. That's astir apt reserved for astir 5 teams successful nan world. But I do deliberation they tin person a magical summertime wherever they spell connected a tally and they person magical moments, precocious goals, personification becomes nan darling of nan team, and they seizure nan attraction of nan media and nan supporters," Howard precocious told Fox News Digital.
"Of course, having a heavy tally is going to thief nan momentum, peculiarly because it's astatine location and much group are going to beryllium watching conscionable simply because it's successful America."
Both Howard and Donovan agreed that winning nan group is nan bare minimum, and past knockout play tin go interesting.
"That game against Senegal (a 3-2 USA triumph connected May 31) was what a Round of 32 crippled could look like, possibly moreover a Round of 16 game. There were a bunch of changes, it was hot, some teams haven't been together a agelong clip yet, truthful I'm not putting excessively overmuch into nan result," a cautiously optimistic Donovan said. "I'm conscionable saying that's nan type of force and nan type of crippled you could get. We tin perfectly triumph that game. And I would opportunity we're favored successful games for illustration that. Or astatine home, if our team's playing well…
U.S. shot icon Landon Donovan helps beforehand excitement for a awesome world shot tourney during an arena astatine Raising Cane’s flagship Inglewood location connected June 9, 2026. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) ((Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images))
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"Then you get to a Round of 16, and that's wherever you get a Belgium, aliases a Portugal, aliases personification for illustration that. And nan situation is, arsenic we saw a period and a half agone erstwhile they played Belgium and Portugal, and they struggled mightily. If nan tone and nan effort is what it was against Senegal, we tin perfectly hit those teams too. We won't beryllium favored, but we tin perfectly hit those teams, nary question."
Howard said if nan U.S. wants to get into nan quarterfinals, it will person to hit a "bully" successful nan Round of 16.
"That's easy connected paper. A batch of things person to happen," Howard warned.
But some erstwhile stars judge it is possible.
"I deliberation this is simply a really talented team. Can they travel together, each play their champion shot astatine nan aforesaid time? We'll see. But I do deliberation they person nan imaginable to do that," Howard said.
Tim Howard, goalkeeper for nan United States, plays during a crippled against Azerbaijan astatine Candlestick Park successful San Francisco, California, connected May 27, 2014. (Michael Burns/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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Donovan, though, did return it a flimsy measurement forward.
"They are tin of it. I americium expecting a heavy tally into nan tournament. I am."
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