USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann has declared that he is keen for his team to shed their underdogs tag at the Copa America.
The United States booked their place in the knockout phase of the competition and finished top of Group A after defeating Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia in their third match.
"The old story is the underdog story, and I cannot hear that story anymore," Klinsmann told reporters. "I want to see them risk things. Let's go for it! Because if you're not going for it, sooner or later they're going to break you down because they have class players that will give you one or two [goals]. That's the learning curve.
"The knockout stage is very mental-driven. It's [an] absolute mental game. It's when you step on the field and you see certain jerseys. It's kind of sniffing at each other and saying 'I'm ready for you.'
"This all about the moment then, and this is what they need to believe in. Whoever is on the other side, I'm ready for you. This is what you would love to see. It's kind of easy to say, but it's now it's becoming a mental learning curve, these upcoming games. This is what we hopefully improve now on."
Host nation the USA defeated Paraguay thanks to a goal by Clint Dempsey, with Costa Rica's 3-2 win over Colombia helping them to the Group A top spot.
Klinsmann's side will face either Brazil, Peru or Ecuador in the next round.
Mark Langshaw
