Quizzed on how the United States can make the most of home field advantage, McKennie - speaking in association with Vita Coco - told GOAL: “Playing on home soil brings a different kind of energy. There’s excitement, pride, and extra motivation knowing our fans are right there with us. There’s pressure too, but I try to embrace it and channel it into my game.”
Former USMNT star Brad Friedel has told GOAL of what success could look like for Pochettino’s squad this summer: “My expectation is that we get through the group. I think exceeding expectations is past the quarters. It’s really difficult to say what I think will be success or failure, the knockouts etc, until you see the draw and the knockout games. There is no shame in getting knocked out to Brazil or England. It just happens. For me, it’s the manner in which it would happen.
“Mauricio I know very well and he is going to have a team that is well prepared, that is fit, that is going to fight for everyone, and they are going to compete really well. That’s why I think over a three-game period in the group stages, they can get out of the group - that’s what I expect. After that, unfortunately no matter how hard you compete against some of the teams at the World Cup - that’s why so few have won it over the history of the tournament - it’s difficult to win it. We’ll have to wait and see.
“I would say that the team is definitely capable of - with the talent that they have and I know how Mauricio works - getting to the quarter-finals. We’ll see after that because then it becomes really hard.
“Sometimes you are going to need luck or penalties or sendings off, or whatever it is. Look at all the great England teams that have been so close. Talent-wise, playing with them and against them, they have had the talent to win a World Cup. For whatever reason, they haven’t been able to finish it off.”