USMNT’s Weston McKennie on World Cup expectations: ‘As a team, we know what we’re capable of’
Weston McKennie is enjoying his best season yet at Juventus and he says it was his mental strength that got him through some difficult times during his time in Italy.
“My time at Juve has been a rollercoaster of emotions,” McKennie told the Cooligans this week. “I’ve always felt at home here. I’ve always felt like I belong here. I always stay true to what I believe in and, at the end of the day, I believe in myself more than in others. I think that’s what has helped me a lot in my career.
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“Being here, it’s taught me a lot. Mentally, it’s taught me a lot, to lean against the wall, move forward, put your head down and work. And also, just maturity, in general. It’s Italian culture: classy, mature, well-spoken. I think I’ve grown [in that aspect] Also.”
The 27-year-old midfielder is second in Serie A with eight goals in all competitions this season. His manager, Luciano Spalletti, played him in a more attacking role and it paid off. McKennie’s four Champions League goals have come in the club’s last six games in the competition.
Weston McKennie passes the ball during the second half against Ecuador during an international friendly match at the Q2 Stadium. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
(John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF via Getty Images)
Success in Europe is something McKennie brought with him to international windows while representing the United States. He has 62 caps for his country and will be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the World Cup this summer when the final squad is announced at the end of May.
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The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico and expectations have risen for the team after a series of successful international friendlies in the fall. The pre-tournament tests won’t get any easier when they host Belgium and Portugal later this month, then Senegal and Germany in late May and early June.
The men’s team has only advanced past the round of 16 once since 1990, when it reached the quarterfinals in 2002. Although there is talk of high expectations for the USMNT this summer, McKennie is keeping all that noise on the outside.
“I’m not someone who thinks so much about the future, I’m someone who takes things day by day and game by game,” McKennie said. “I wouldn’t say I have any expectations as to where we should finish, because at the end of the day our goal at the end of the day, like any team going into this tournament, is to go out there and try to win it. As athletes and as competitors, that’s what we go out there to try to do.
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“I think our expectations as a team are probably higher than what others have of us. Because we’ve been together for so long, there have been new faces, new additions, but as a team we know what we’re capable of and we understand the game and what happens when we’re on the field better than anyone. So I think our expectations of ourselves are high and we don’t really try to let outside criticism or outside talk try to affect us as much because in the end, that will be it. The 26 players and the staff who will be there and ultimately the 11 players on the pitch will have to make the difference and it is not words from the outside that will be able to do that.
“So you can talk as much as you can, but it depends on how you walk.”
Check out the full conversation on “The Cooligans” podcast – and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTubeOr wherever you listen.
