Weston McKennie, a midfielder for the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), expressed the team’s determination to demonstrate their ability to defeat some of the world’s top soccer teams. The USMNT is gearing up to face Germany in a home-friendly match.
The highly-anticipated clash against the four-time World Cup champions will take place in East Hartford, Connecticut, offering the USMNT a rare opportunity to test their mettle against a major European soccer powerhouse before they co-host the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking to the media during a virtual press call, McKennie conveyed the team’s evolving mindset. He said, “We always compared ourselves in terms of, you know, we wanted to compete with top-level countries. We expect ourselves to win these games now instead of just competing with them.”
Weston McKennie played a crucial role in helping the U.S. advance to the round of 16 during last year’s World Cup in Qatar. This achievement was especially significant following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament.
Under the guidance of coach Gregg Berhalter, the USMNT enters the upcoming match against Germany on a remarkable 13-game unbeaten streak. Another friendly match against Ghana is on the horizon, scheduled for Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Importantly, the U.S. has already secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts, thereby bypassing the need for qualification matches. McKennie emphasized the significance of the upcoming matches, stating, “It’s a great opportunity to kind of see where we’re at and to win these types of games because they are the type of games that we have to win to advance the program forward, to advance ourselves forward, and to be successful in the coming years.”
Germany, on the other hand, is undergoing a transitional phase, with coach Julian Nagelsmann taking the reins for the first time. Nagelsmann, formerly the manager of Bayern Munich, was appointed last month and will lead the team through the Euro 2024 finals on home soil. Germany is eager to redeem itself after being eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.
As the USMNT aims to assert its presence among the world’s soccer elite, the match against Germany presents an exciting opportunity to gauge their progress and aspirations for future success on the global stage.