U.S. winning the WC not 'ridiculous,' Richards say...
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- U.S. men's national team beat Australia 2-0 in Seattle on Friday, its second dominant showing after dismantling Paraguay in the group opener, clinching a knockout-stage berth with one group game to spare.
- Chris Richards defended Zlatan Ibrahimovic's one-word "yes" that the U.S. can win this World Cup: "I don't think it's ridiculous to say that we want to win it" and "We want to lift a trophy by the end of this."
- Türkiye awaits the U.S. in its final group game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Thursday, with Christian Pulisic still sidelined by injury.
- Tyler Adams proposed a 24-hour celebration rule to keep the squad locked in, while coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
- Tim Ream called this "the most fun, special, enjoyable group" he's been part of and said the squad "feels different" from past U.S. World Cup teams.
- The 2002 quarterfinals remain the deepest U.S. men's run at a modern World Cup, and this is the program's first home tournament since 1994, where the quarterfinals were set as the realistic benchmark for success.
Why it matters: The U.S. men's modern World Cup ceiling is the 2002 quarterfinals, and reaching the quarters was set as this team's success benchmark. Locking in the knockout stage with one group game remaining — alongside unanimous veteran buy-in — turns this tournament into the first credible U.S. title conversation of the modern era, with every result now measured against a 24-year drought.
