Daily News | The U.S. men’s soccer team starts its World Cup countdown by playing Morocco
CINCINNATI — In most World Cup years, the buzz around the tournament would be building to a crescendo right now. The U.S. men’s soccer team would play a few high-profile spring friendlies on home soil, drawing big crowds to watch the latest crop of stars, then head off to the biggest stage in soccer.Because kickoff in Qatar isn’t until November, the games the U.S. men’s team will play this month are as close to the traditional send-off as fans will see.
“I don’t think we’re there yet in terms of the buildup,” U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “I can guarantee you as we move into the fall, it’s going to ramp up in a big way. … Right now, I don’t think it’s there.” The opening tune-up is Wednesday night against Morocco. It will be the first time in 15 games that the U.S. has played a team from outside Concacaf, and the last one was against Qatar when it was a guest at last year’s Gold Cup. There were seven more games against regional opponents before then.
“For sure, we got used to it,” U.S. midfield star Tyler Adams said. “When we play against Morocco and have the opportunity to play against guys like [Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf] Hakimi and other talented players, you finally get to test and see if what we’re doing works. And I think that’s the best thing you can have.”