U.S. President Barack Obama Backs U.S. World Cup Team
The United States football team found staunch support from the most powerful man on earth, the President of the country Barrack Obama, as the team called on him in the White House.
President Obama met with the men's US World Cup team at the presidential residency and told the national team, who are departing for the stiffest challenge of them all, that he will be watching as they represent the country on "the world's biggest stage." Obama in his typical jovial mood added that "I just want to say how incredibly proud we are of the team.
“Everybody's going to be rooting for you and although sometimes we don't remember it here in the United States, this is going to be the biggest world stage there is and you are going to be representing all of us.
“So we are incredibly proud of what you're doing and we are going to be proud of what you do when you get to South Africa. You will have someone in the Oval Office who will be watching ESPN to make sure everything is going OK.
“I know that you have wonderful support in Bill Clinton who is making sure this team is getting all the help it needs. The Vice President is going to be there live.
(Biden at this point jested that this was a painful assignment, to which the President responded:) I tried to volunteer but they wouldn't let me leave. Congratulations everybody. I wish you all the best."
Meanwhile, the final squad heading to South Africa was unveiled in an announcement by national coach Bob Bradley on Wednesday following a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic the previous night.
The squad then met with President Obama at the White House along with Vice President Biden and former President Bill Clinton. Biden later gave the players a tour of the White House.
Clinton is working as the honorary Chairman of the bid committee trying to bring the World Cup back to the U.S., and the aim is to do so either in 2018 or in 2022.
The Vice-president Biden is scheduled to attend the team's opening match against England on June 12 in Rustenburg, South Africa.
The United States would have to play out of their skins if they are to impress at the World Cup.
They kick off their campaign with an extremely tough assignment against a team that has been the World Champions, the mighty England.
After the English assignment, the United States would be locking horns with one of the dark horses of the tournament, Slovenia, on June 18.
They round off their Group C encounters with a match against the Algerians on June 23.
Meanwhile, before their departure, Bradley's team will be flexing their muscles in a couple of warm up matches against Turkey in Philadelphia on Saturday and Australia in Roodepoort, South Africa, on June 5. Midfielder Clint Dempsey seemed confident in team, saying “We've been working really hard to get ready for the World Cup”, and adding that “It would be nice to go into South Africa with a solid performance against Turkey. We'll be ready to play Saturday, and I think the guys on this team believe in each other and what we're trying to accomplish." (Associated Press)
The only way the sport can reach the popularity of other mainstream American sports would be through a spirited performance in the World Cup, and a second round finish (at the very least) is what the Americans should be targeting.
The team has hardly achieved anything substantial in their earlier appearances in the tournament, and once again performing with any degree of consistency against some of the best football nations in the world, in the biggest stage of them all, would be the ultimate challenge for the US squad.
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