American fans are excited, and they should be. They want to back a winner, especially after the calamity of World Cup qualifying four years ago.
They see players from Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester City injecting fresh energy and mad skills into a once-lost program.
The United States has fielded good teams since the 1990s, but on paper at least, none compares to the current ensemble. Soon, the youngsters will be asked to meet a heightened forecast.
The maturation process continued off the beaten path Thursday with a friendly against a Caribbean foe in a small, empty stadium in central Europe.