{"id":33166,"date":"2026-06-12T02:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T02:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/as-world-cup-opener-nears-u-s-men-know-theyll-play-under-a-spotlight\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T02:46:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T02:46:05","slug":"as-world-cup-opener-nears-u-s-men-know-theyll-play-under-a-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/as-world-cup-opener-nears-u-s-men-know-theyll-play-under-a-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"As World Cup opener nears, U.S. men know they\u2019ll play under a spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-d54bf7\" class=\"body-graf\">IRVINE, Calif. \u2014 Compared with what it was like playing in his first World Cup in 2022, this year\u2019s version will be a \u201cslightly different experience,\u201d U.S. midfielder Cristian Roldan said this week.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-149425\" class=\"body-graf\">That\u2019s an understatement. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ab49a3\" class=\"body-graf\">Four years after the U.S. men advanced to the round of 16 in Qatar, half a world away from their families and fans, the team will open the tournament Friday in Inglewood, California, just 14 miles from where Roldan starred in high school. When the U.S. plays its second group-stage game in Seattle a week later, it will be in the same stadium where Roldan plays professionally for Seattle\u2019s MLS team. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-089d90\" class=\"body-graf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/sports\/soccer\/live-blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-opening-ceremonies-june-11-live-updates-rcna349400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>Follow along for live coverage<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-21a1aa\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cYou can feel that energy, you can feel that support, and now it\u2019s about translating that energy, that support, that pressure, into something good for our games coming up,\u201d Roldan said. \u201cFor me in my backyard, and my adopted city, to be able to have three group-stage games in the cities that I spent my whole life, I mean, it\u2019s a beautiful story, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-da33c4\" class=\"body-graf\">But what will be the ending of that story? <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-fd6133\" class=\"body-graf\">Since it finished third in the first World Cup in 1930, the men\u2019s national team has never advanced past the quarterfinals, and it got to them only once, in 2002 \u2014 before five current team members, including right back Joe Scally, were born. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2b9edd\" class=\"body-graf\">Many on the U.S. roster got a preview of that home-soil spotlight two years ago when the U.S. hosted and played in Copa Am\u00e9rica, the tournament that crowns the best team from North and South America. The U.S. didn\u2019t advance to the knockout stage, a result that swiftly led to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/us-mens-national-soccer-coach-gregg-berhalter-fired-rcna161276\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">coach Gregg Berhalter\u2019s firing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-841552\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cI think a lot of us experienced that pressure and kind of that feeling of what it means to play for the fans, so for us we\u2019re kind of taking that experience and gonna build off it,\u201d Scally said. \u201cAnd of course it\u2019s nice to be in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IRVINE, Calif. \u2014 Compared with what it was like playing in his first World Cup in 2022, this year\u2019s version<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_animmysite_disable_animation":false,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-06\/260610-us-mens-national-team-training-soccer-ew-335p-a02a83.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-usa-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}