We want to put Portugal in their place, says Klinsmann
The United States want to put Cristiano Ronaldo`s Portugal in their place when they meet in their second group game on Sunday, U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann said on the eve of the match.
|Last Updated: Jun 22, 2014, 11:09 AM IST|Source: Reuters
Manaus, Brazil:The United States want to put Cristiano Ronaldo`s Portugal in their place when they meet in their second group game on Sunday, U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann said on the eve of the match.
Germany`s 2-2 draw with Ghana on Saturday means the Americans will qualify for the second round if they beat the Portuguese, who are bottom of the group with no points.
"We want to put Cristiano and his team in place. We want to get out there with all the energy that we have, with all the discipline that we`re going to bring, with all the aggression we`re going to bring to our play and make it our game," he said.
The U.S. will be without forward Jozy Altidore, who left the Ghana game early with a hamstring injury. He will most be likely be replaced by Aron Johannsson.
Although the Americans had several close shaves against Ghana, Klinsmann denied his team had been lucky.
"There is no perfect game against anybody in the World Cup, so you will always give chances away, you will always make some mistakes at a certain point," he told a news conference.
HUGE OPPORTUNITY
Ghana`s draw with Germany showed how well the United States had done to beat the African side, he added.
"For us it`s a huge opportunity tomorrow (Sunday) here in Manaus and we will definitely go for it," he said.
Portugal captain Ronaldo has been struggling with a knee problem but looks set to play and will be looking to improve upon a disappointing performance in the 4-0 defeat by Germany.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard said it would be a mistake to focus too much attention on the World Player of the Year.
"If you pay too much attention to Ronaldo someone else will beat us... we have to know where he is," he said.
Howard also said the U.S. team had not trained specially for the heat and humidity in Manaus, which is in the middle of the Amazon jungle.
"We`re fit and we`re conditioned and as long as we get good sleep and stay hydrated we should be fine," he said.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.