SEATTLE - The U.S. men's national team could be forgiven for taking some extra time to bask in the afterglow of its quarterfinal triumph over Ecuador in the Copa America Centenario.
Let's face it, excluding the Gold Cup, it's not that often the U.S. wins a knockout game in an international tournament. You have to go back to the 2009 Confederations Cup when they beat heavyweights Spain 2-0 to find the last time the Americans won such a match after the group stage. So when the team gathered in a circle at midfield after the final whistle, singing and jumping in unison, it was a right that they had earned.