Quote:
Originally Posted by d_phaneuf
Pedigree is as relevant as how strong the teams are
The big teams advance because they have better players, not because their country played in a world cup 12 years ago
Success at a world cup has nothing to do with whether your country was there before
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It does for non European teams who don't get as many big games and can be overwhelmed.
The Americans were in a huge game today, must win and I think their experience as a country helped. Iran got physical, the ref let a lot go, the atmosphere was hostile and electric at times, and the field seems to be suffering from overuse. But the US has been there before, coaches can advise properly.