“You know what? This team’s beatable. We can do this.”
Alejandro Bedoya knows Argentina are world-class, but, as he wrote in an article published today on The Players’ Tribune, he thinks the US can top them in Tuesday’s Copa America Centenario semifinal at NRG Stadium (9 pm ET; FS1, Univision, UDN).
Bedoya, who is suspended for Tuesday’s game due to yellow card accumulation, also knows a lot of people might not necessarily share that belief.
He wrote about that in his essay on the Players’ Tribune, sharing several different anecdotes about how a perceived lack of respect – whether it be directed toward the team as a whole, an individual player, or even at US fans – serves to motivate the USMNT.
He also wrote at length about the importance to the USMNT of Clint Dempsey, who came under a good deal of criticism following the US’s opening game loss against Colombia, and the unique team spirit shared by this group of Americans.
“What we’re doing on the field is special,” he wrote. “Unlike other teams in other sports, we don’t have the luxury of holding team meetings in someone’s house around big dining room tables. We don’t have a season to work things out. Honestly, the three or four weeks we’ve spent together for this tournament are more than any other time we usually get with each other. And yet the communication on the field – I’ve never been a part of anything quite like it.”
The entire article is well worth a read. Read Bedoya's full article on theplayerstribune.com.
