There's a famous story about a team talk Sir Alex Ferguson gave to Manchester United ahead of a home fixture against Tottenham. The Red Devils' dressing room was riled up. They knew that they were heavy favorites against the-then mid-table side. They needed calming. Ferguson's team talk was three words:
"Lads, it's Tottenham."
That anecdote, recounted by Roy Keane, has since become a meme. Spurs fans, no doubt, have been bludgeoned with it over the years. But it's also a universal language, an appropriate aphorism when a team is facing an opponent they really should beat. And as the USMNT face up against their Gold Cup semifinal opponent on Wednesday in St. Louis, a similar sentiment comes to mind:
"Lads, it's Guatemala."
It, of course, said with no disrespect to the Central American side. They were deserved quarterfinal winners over tournament co-favorite Canada, which sustained a self-inflected wound by going down to 10 men to a team that would always be up for a fight. Still, this feels like a must win for the U.S., a gift from the soccer gods that presents them with an opportunity to reach a Gold Cup final that - just a few weeks ago - they were considered outsiders for.
