World Cup: Excitement as USMNT prepares to take pitch in Santa Clara
World Cup: Excitement as USMNT prepares to take pitch in Santa Clara
Excitement is building in the South Bay as the U.S. Men’s National Team prepares to take the pitch against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi's Stadium on Wednesday for a highly anticipated World Cup knockout round match.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Excitement is building in the South Bay as the U.S. Men’s National Team prepares to take the pitch against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi's Stadium on Wednesday for a highly anticipated World Cup knockout round match.
Historic moment
Why you should care:
The U.S. squad wrapped up its final training sessions on Tuesday ahead of the match in Santa Clara. Because the knockout stage operates on a "win or go home" format, both teams face immense pressure with no room for error.
The high-stakes matchup marks a historic moment for American soccer.
The U.S. Men's National Team has not reached a World Cup knockout stage since 2002. During that tournament, Bruce Arena—who now serves as the head coach for the San Jose Earthquakes—led the team to its deepest run since the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
What they're saying:
San Jose police tackle, pepper spray rowdy crowd
Video footage from the scene captured San Jose police officers tackling individuals to the ground, deploying pepper spray on crowd members, and arresting a handful of people who refused to clear the streets.
U.S. defender Chris Richards emphasized that the team is treating the game with the gravity of a championship final.
"We want to take this opportunity in both hands and go into this game with our heads held high," Richards said on Tuesday. "We understand that any team can be beaten on any day... we go into the game tomorrow knowing it’s a final. We’re not overlooking Bosnia by any means."
While Bosnia and Herzegovina may enter the match looking like an underdog, team analysts and observers warn that the team and its people are not to be underestimated.
StubHub drama
Local perspective:
Bay Area fans rally behind Team USA ahead of World Cup match
Hundreds of fans packed a U.S. Soccer watch party in Santa Clara, while the Bay Area Host Committee celebrated the region's growing World Cup momentum ahead of Team USA's highly anticipated match at Levi's Stadium.
The excitement at Levi's Stadium will include a special local family celebrating a major turnaround. The Eaton family, residents of San Juan Bautista, had previously seen their World Cup tickets for a Portugal match canceled by StubHub.
"We’ve been calling StubHub for about six months," Fernanda Eaton said. "They said, 'Hey, where’s our tickets, we’re worried.' They said, 'Don’t worry, you have the insurance, you’ll get other tickets if the seller backs out.' That didn’t happen either."
Following inquiries from KTVU regarding the canceled tickets, StubHub contacted the Eaton family and issued a $20,000 credit to apply toward a replacement match. The family ultimately selected Wednesday's local knockout match in Santa Clara to see the journey through.
The Source: Bruce Arena—who now serves as the head coach for the San Jose Earthquakes, U.S. defender Chris Richards, ticket holder Fernanda Eaton