SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Less than 24 hours removed from alongside his team, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino extended some unexpected birthday wishes.
They were not directed toward forward , who turned 25 on Friday, but rather the country the two are representing at the . Saturday marked the , which was cause for celebration in Pochettino鈥檚 eyes before practice at Husky Soccer Stadium.
鈥淗appy birthday,鈥� Pochettino said to reporters as he circled the pitch. 鈥淚t鈥檚 250 years, no?鈥�
The 54-year-old coach, who was born in Argentina and lives in Spain, has fully embraced the American experience this summer. Pochettino has joined tens of thousands of fans in 鈥� all while not letting his players forget his roots.
鈥淗e鈥檚 200 percent Argentine,鈥� said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 obviously taken to the culture, and at the same time has added his bit of culture to us as well. … The group is such a melting pot of staff, players. And, it鈥檚 just an incredible representation of who we are as people. But, he definitely won鈥檛 let us forget that he still is Argentine at the end of the day.鈥�
Pochettino isn鈥檛 the only member of the team with roots outside the United States. Six players on the roster were born abroad, while others like Balogun were raised in Europe.
Balogun was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to Nigerian parents, but raised in London. He could have played for any of three countries, yet chose to play for the U.S.
鈥淭his is a unique experience for me,鈥� Balogun said, 鈥渂eing in the World Cup in your home nation.鈥�
Many Americans are still lukewarm about soccer. Its popularity lags behind American football, basketball and baseball.
But from , provided exclusively to The Associated Press, shows that , even as the sport faces an uphill climb to reach mainstream popularity.
On Monday at Lumen Field, the U.S. has an opportunity to further invigorate its fans when it plays Belgium in the Round of 16. A victory would mark the first time the Americans have ever won two knockout games at the World Cup, while securing their second quarterfinal appearance and first since 2002.
鈥�(An) opportunity to continue to inspire tens of millions of people, inspire kids,鈥� Ream said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for us to win another knockout-stage game in a World Cup.鈥�
The U.S. will need contributions from its diverse roster. Starters like Weston McKennie and Sergi帽o Dest, for instance, are the children of U.S. service members.
Dest is confident the Americans can win on Monday, even after .
鈥淏elgium is a great opponent,鈥� Dest said. 鈥淏ut, we also see some opportunities for us to be able to win that game. 鈥機ause we are also a great team at the moment. We grew a lot, as well, in this tournament. And, at the moment, it鈥檚 really difficult to beat us. So, it will be difficult for Belgium as well.鈥�
Saturday provided an opportunity for Ream and his teammates to celebrate the American holiday by watching fireworks from a rooftop bar. Ream previously played for Fulham of the before returning to the United States with Charlotte of .
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit different celebrating here than over there because obviously, in a lot of ways, a lot of people don鈥檛 actually know why we celebrate the Fourth,鈥� Ream said, 鈥渨hich is crazy to me, because they were a big part of why we celebrate the Fourth.鈥�
The U.S. hopes to close out the holiday weekend by winning Monday night, with a team that is quintessentially American in Ream鈥檚 eyes.
鈥淲ith all our different backgrounds, where we all have grown up, it鈥檚 a true representation of what America is,鈥� Ream said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a melting pot of people, personalities, of characters. It鈥檚 the perfect representation of what the U.S. is.鈥�
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