The United States men’s national team is in a situation they’ve only been in a few times under Jurgen Klinsmann -- with their backs against the wall, badly needing a win. On Tuesday, they need to redeem themselves against Costa Rica after a poor opener against Colombia.
USA vs. Costa Rica, Copa America 2016: Start time, TV schedule and team news
The USMNT will be eliminated from Copa America if they lose on Tuesday.
While the Americans made some progress in playing decent soccer with a top opponent, keeping the ball well in their opponent’s half, they couldn’t actually turn that into positive results against Colombia. The USMNT did little to threaten the Colombian goal in a 2-0 loss.
In their opener, Costa Rica struggled as well, though they got a point out of it. They withstood early pressure against Paraguay before oppressive heat took over, slowing the game down and leading to a 0-0 draw.
What’s at stake
Both teams will come into this game feeling like a win is necessary. Neither team will be eliminated with a draw, but depending on the result of the later game, splitting the points could put the United States in a situation where they don't control their own destiny on the final day. Costa Rica can draw this game and go into the final round knowing a win would get them into the quarterfinals, but they don't want a must-win against Colombia. They want it here. In the event Costa Rica wins, the USMNT would be eliminated from Copa America.
Key player -- Michael Bradley
Despite a much awaited move to a deep-lying playmaker role behind a pair of runners, Bradley did not shine against Colombia. He had a ton of errant touches, including the turnover that started the move leading to DeAndre Yedlin’s handball penalty. The USMNT can’t win without him being much better than he was in their first game.
Match date/time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. local
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. -- English), Univision (U.S. and Canada -- Spanish), Telecta, Repretel, Sky (Costa Rica), Premier Sports (U.K.)
Online: You can catch all games online on Fox Sports GO and Univision Deportes en vivo in the United States, as well as paid services Fox Soccer 2GO, Sling and fuboTV for those who don't have access to the ones that are free with a TV subscription.
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