Young USMNT ready for 'hostile' crowd vs. Mexico

HOUSTON -- U.S. men's nationalist team defender Walker Zimmerman said that Wednesday's Gold Cup semifinal triumph against Guatemala was a "good taste" of what it's similar to play successful a hostile situation for this young U.S. side, but that "it's not going to beryllium close" to what it tin expect successful the final.

The U.S. is acceptable to quadrate disconnected against Mexico connected Sunday, marking the eighth clip these 2 teams person met successful the Gold Cup final. Mexico, which has won 5 of the erstwhile 7 encounters, is aiming for its 10th rubric portion the U.S. volition beryllium vying to hoist the Gold Cup for the eighth time.

History has shown that the U.S. tin expect the assemblage to beryllium vociferous successful its enactment of El Tri.

The U.S. prevailed implicit Guatemala successful the semifinal, successful beforehand of what was a precise pro-Guatemala assemblage successful St. Louis. It was jarring to immoderate young members of the squad, truthful overmuch truthful that skipper Tim Ream had to punctual his players that "This is what it is. You person to clasp it."

Zimmerman, a seasoned of these kinds of matches whose 46 caps are fifth-most successful the squad, says the U.S. should expect much of the same. Much more.

"I deliberation it was cleanable for those guys to benignant of get their feet bedewed with Guatemala and the vigor that was successful the stadium with, yeah, you're astatine home, but it felt similar a small spot hostile astatine times with the crowd," Zimmerman told reporters Friday.

He added: "It's not going to beryllium adjacent to what we're going to perceive connected Sunday, but I deliberation that was a cleanable small mentation for conscionable the vigor and situation and the unit that you'll consciousness arsenic the stadiums get louder and louder and a small spot much hostile."

It's communal for Mexico fans to outnumber their U.S. counterparts by a ratio of 4-to-1 successful these matches. But 20-year-old U.S. defender Alex Freeman, who has started each 5 U.S. matches truthful acold successful the tournament, feels helium is ready, acknowledgment to his acquisition successful the semifinal.

"It was benignant of caller for me," Freeman said astir the ambiance astatine the semifinal. "Obviously this is my archetypal tourney with the men's nationalist team. I consciousness similar this ambiance ... tin physique character.

"I consciousness similar that's thing that I privation to bash is physique my quality and amusement not lone the teammates and the coaches but the fans besides that this squad is built for moments similar that."

Zimmerman said the veterans successful this U.S. squad person been doing what they tin to hole the younger players for what's ahead, including the trash speech and gamesmanship that comes with matches against a rival similar Mexico, adjacent though determination are limits to however overmuch it volition help.

"A batch of these guys, it is their archetypal clip playing [against] Mexico. It's going to beryllium a learning experience," helium said. "It's going to beryllium thing that is going to consciousness a small spot much aggravated than what they've been astir successful the past. That's thing that we, arsenic guys who person played before, person to hole them successful these grooming sessions, person to hole them for the game.

"And again, it's not to psych them out. It's to marque definite that they're prepared and focused and cognize that they person the content of everyone connected the staff, connected the squad that, 'Hey, you're present for a reason. You tin triumph this game. You've done a large occupation [in this] tournament. Let's spell decorativeness the job.' So that's benignant of the mentality we person close now."

Freeman said he's taking successful each of the proposal successful the anticipation of being arsenic prepared arsenic possible.

"They're conscionable getting america prepared, knowing that it mightiness not beryllium the prettiest game, but conscionable to beryllium capable to spell the cognition that you privation to win," helium said. "I consciousness similar that's what they stress truthful much, is conscionable being capable to spell and person the cognition that we request to triumph this game. We request to get the trophy to bring it backmost for the U.S."