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After two wins successful two to commencement nan World Cup, nan US person gained a high-profile supporter: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Asked connected Fox’s postgame broadcast whether he thinks nan co-hosts tin triumph nan World Cup, nan Swede offered a elemental answer: “Yes.”
Asked astir Ibrahimovic’s comments aft Friday’s 2-0 triumph complete Australia, US players were azygous successful their response: Sure, why not?
“I don’t deliberation it’s ridiculous,” Chris Richards said. “We want to assistance a trophy by nan extremity of this.”
His chap defender, Auston Trusty, had akin feelings.
“That’s our mindset,” Trusty said. “I don’t deliberation you participate this tourney not to person that mindset. To person [Ibrahimovic] opportunity that astir us, that’s amazing. But I’m judge he knows arsenic well, it’s game-by-game.”
If nan US do make it heavy into nan tourney – Friday’s triumph guaranteed their spot successful nan knockout shape – it will apt beryllium owed successful nary mini portion to nan emergence of Alex Freeman. The 21-year-old defender, now astatine Villarreal aft becoming 1 of nan champion young players successful MLS pinch Orlando City, has been a revelation astatine this World Cup. Playing connected nan correct broadside of a three-man backline, Freeman scored nan 2nd extremity to seal Friday’s triumph – a extremity that was initially ruled retired for offside but was later fixed aft a lengthy VAR review.
“I deliberation you dream of this moment,” said Freeman, nan boy of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman. “And for it to yet hap pinch specified a support strategy to thief you observe it makes is truthful overmuch much special. When it was confirmed, I saw each my teammates moving and I thought: ‘I’ve sewage to tally away, they’re going to tackle me!’”
Mauricio Pochettino said astatine his introductory property convention arsenic US caput coach that his extremity is to triumph nan World Cup pinch nan US. He excessively had praise not conscionable for Freeman, but nan strategy that developed him.
“The improvement is massive,” Pochettino said aft Friday’s game. “He has imaginable to beryllium 1 of nan champion players successful his position successful nan world. He’s [a] humble guy, he has an astonishing profile. He wants to learn. He ever listens … you really bask being pinch him.”
The champion US decorativeness astatine a men’s World Cup was third-place successful nan tournament’s first version successful 1930. Their champion consequence successful nan modern era was a tally to nan quarter-finals successful 2002.
