IRVINE, Calif. — Sebastian Berhalter was just over a year old when he went to South Korea to see his father, Gregg, play in the 2002 World Cup. But he knows a lesson from back then applies today.
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The U.S. men’s soccer team opened that tournament with its biggest win on the biggest stage since 1950, a 3-2 upset of Luis Figo’s Portugal. It stunned the world, even if it only made a limited impact back home.
It also was just one game. The Americans followed it with a 1-1 tie vs. cohost South Korea, then a 3-1 loss to Poland in the group stage finale. They backdoored their way into the round of 16 only because South Korea edged Portugal at the same time as the U.S.-Poland game, which allowed the Americans to finish second.
Longtime U.S. fans will remember their shredded nerves of that morning back home, as Portugal hammered away in the final minutes but could not find the net. An equalizer would have put the Americans out on goal difference, since Portugal had routed Poland, 4-0.
The odds of that scenario repeating are lower now, not least because the U.S. is the cohost. The caldron on Friday in Seattle will be theirs this time, instead of the opponent’s.
Still, it’s worth turning to that page of the history book to bring some perspective to the upcoming U.S.-Australia showdown for first place in Group D (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62).
“Yeah, it is one game, and we know we have tough teams coming up, and they’re all going to present different challenges,” the now-25-year-old Berhalter said after Tuesday’s practice. “But for us, it’s just taking it one moment at a time, one game at a time, and we’ll be good.”
Winger Tim Weah has had his own moments of fandom lately, as a Brooklyn native and New York Knicks diehard. But when he put on his work clothes, his focus was clear.
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“From a fan standpoint I think it’s amazing to celebrate it,” he said. “But for us, we want to not get too high. We want to make sure that we’re focused on what we need to focus on. I think staying humble is the key. As a group, we just have to prepare for our next game and be ready to fight.
The familiarity between these teams extends beyond their friendly meeting in suburban Denver last October, a 2-1 comeback U.S. win. Australia midfielder Aiden O’Neill and defender Kai Trewin play for New York City FC, highly regarded defender Lucas Herrington plays for the Colorado Rapids, and veteran defender Miloš Degenek used to play for the Columbus Crew.
If it becomes the kind of physical contest that friendly was or the defense-first game Australia played in upsetting Turkey, Berhalter said the U.S. will be ready.
“I love the way they defend,” he said. “You like teams that have that brotherhood. You like teams that when you go against them, you can see they’re hungry and that they want to fight, because it makes you know raise your level that much more.”
He also had the line of the day when he praised manager Mauricio Pochettino’s influence on the team’s intensity.
“I think one is that we’re American, we don’t take s—, and I think that’s something that he really put in,” Berhalter said, drawing laughs with his turn of phrase. ”Even though he’s [Argentine], he has that mindset of, ‘Look, this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America’s about.’ Even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we’re about, and he really drilled that into us, and I think that’s something that has helped us this last cycle.”
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.