The United States may not have been able to beat Belgium in the World Cup to advance to the quarter-finals, but defender Omar Gonzalez still thinks America’s future in soccer is bright, so “other teams around the world should be scared.”
“America, as a country, breeds great athletes. Now we just need to be a little bit better with the ball, and I think that’s coming up quick,” Gonzalez, who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy, told Conan O’Brien in an interview (above) on Monday night. “And I think other teams around the world should be scared.”
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And although Team USA didn’t go all the way, Gonzalez was happy to see that Germany did.
“I wanted them to win because they were in our group. And it just shows how tough it was in our group, having to come out of that,” Gonzalez said. “They’re a tough team with a lot of great players. I’m just happy we kept them at 1-0.”
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O’Brien said he observed American appreciation for soccer go “into hyperspace” during this year’s World Cup, and TheWrap did, too. Team USA’s last game in the international tournament broke ratings records set by the team just a week earlier.
And the fever didn’t die down once the USA was knocked out. The World Cup final, in which Germany beat Argentina with a single goal in extra time, shattered Twitter and Facebook records, while the match became the most-watched World Cup final ever to air on ABC.
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“Being down in Brazil and seeing all of the fan support, everyone going to the group showings, it was fantastic to see how many people were rallying behind us,” Gonzalez said. “It’s amazing. I hope it keeps going. I hope people just don’t stop watching now. They can follow MLS teams.”