Matt Besler

We have American players that are playing in the top leagues in the world and playing on some of the highest profile of teams.

So it's all a process, and it's maybe a little bit slower than a lot of people want or expect to see.

But it is happening in terms of the rest of the world is starting to

Certainly respect.

and maybe a little bit fear some of these American teams.

I'm really excited to watch our team play.

I think it's going to go really well, and I'm not just saying that because I'm hopeful it goes well.

I truly believe that.

I think this team is ready to play.

I think that playing in front of your host country and your own fans, it's a bigger advantage than some people might expect or predict, and I just think that we're going to come out with a lot of energy today

we're going to high pressure the team.

And I just don't think Paraguay is going to be able to meet our pressure and meet our level of intensity.

If they're able to meet it, I don't think they're going to be able to sustain it.

Soccer, it's a 90-minute game, and it's an endurance sport.

It really is.

There's a lot of different elements of soccer, but the basis of it, it's an endurance game.

So you don't have to win the game in the first five minutes.

Now, if you can go out and score an early goal, that will certainly help, especially in this game, because Paraguay is going to sit back.

They're going to sit back.

They're going to try to absorb pressure.