American striker Eddie Johnson drew a comparison between World Cup competition and combat on Wednesday in Hamburg, reflecting the urgency surrounding the United States squad ahead of their Group E clash with Italy on Saturday in Kaiserslautern.
The Americans entered the match under serious pressure after a 3-0 opening defeat to the Czech Republic. A second loss, combined with a Czech win over Ghana on the same day, would end US hopes of advancing from the group stage.
The team planned to stay at Ramstein Air Base before the Italy match, repeating an arrangement used ahead of a friendly win over Poland in March. During that earlier visit, players spent time with wounded soldiers recovering from service in Iraq.
Johnson, 22, said the experience left a strong impression and shaped his view of representing the country on a global stage. "It's do or die," he said of the tournament. He added that the players would push to the limit to avoid an early exit from what he called the world's biggest sporting event.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.