Playing a European power for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals is not something the U.S. is taking lightly—even if the mood on the eve of the last 16 was relaxed.
AL RAYYAN, Qatar — The mood here Friday at the Qatar National Convention Centre couldn’t have been more different than that of four days earlier, when U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter and captain Tyler Adams were subjected to a 30-minute siege by Iranian reporters who grilled the Americans on off-topic issues like naval strategy and immigration.
At Friday’s pre-match press conference, which preceded Saturday’s World Cup round-of-16 showdown between the U.