By Matt Silverstein
IRVINE, California, June 8 (Reuters) - United States captain Tim Ream urged his teammates to embrace the pressure of a home World Cup on Monday, saying the tournament represents a once-in-a-career chance for the squad ahead of their opening match against Paraguay on Friday.
Speaking at the U.S. training base in Irvine, California, the defender said the co-hosts were well aware of the expectations surrounding them but insisted the players were putting the greatest demands on themselves.
"This is a once-in-a-career opportunity," Ream said during a press conference before a public training session that attracted more than 5,000 fans under sunny Southern California skies.
"With that comes more expectation, more pressure, but at the same time, we have to enjoy it. There's nobody putting more expectation and more pressure on us than ourselves."
The United States, who are co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico, will begin their campaign in front of home supporters, an occasion several players described as both emotional and motivating.
EMBRACE EVERYTHING
Ream, one of the squad's most experienced players, said he had encouraged younger teammates to take in the scale of the moment rather than be consumed by it.
"It's about just opening your eyes and taking everything in, because this is unique, this is different," he said. "Take it in, enjoy it, embrace everything that it is because it is so unique, it's so special and it's not something that we'll ever get to do again."
Forward Folarin Balogun said representing the United States at a home World Cup carried special meaning after his international journey.
"I feel like my individual journey is a bit full circle now," said Balogun, who was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and moved to London when he was just one month old.
"The opportunity to represent my nation in front of a home crowd is going to be something special for me, for my family, for my friends and for the team."
FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY
Striker Ricardo Pepi said the squad was trying to frame the tournament not as a burden but as a chance to represent the country, their families and each other.
"At the end of the day, we see this as a fantastic opportunity to be able to play in front of our country, in front of our people," Pepi said. "Just a little bit of the pressure aside, I feel like we see it more as an opportunity."
Goalkeeper Matt Freese, reflecting on his path to the squad, said the moment was the result of years of work without guarantees.
"You dream of this opportunity, you work for the opportunity, but you never know if it's going to come," Freese said.
"Pressure makes diamonds, and I think we're a group of 26 guys that wants to show that we're a bunch of diamonds."
(Additional reporting by Nathan Frandino and Rory Carroll, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
