'We're America' - USMNT ready for World Cup fight with Australia as ugly war of words continues between pundits

World Cups are always unpredictable, but few could have imagined that Grella, of all people, would become the most despised man in Australia this week.

It all began at December's World Cup draw. After that draw, Grella earmarked Australia as an easy match for the USMNT. A layup, he infamously said, immediately drawing the ire of Australian media. Of the Pot 2 teams, Australia were the lowest ranked, which is why the Americans had reason to be pleased. Australia, meanwhile, had reason to smile, too: they'd avoided teams like Spain, Argentina and France to draw the third-lowest-ranked Pot 1 side.

While Grella celebrated being paired with the Socceroos, the American media also latched onto the reaction of Australia boss Popovic, who didn't seem displeased with his side's group given the circumstances.

“I watched the Aussie coach’s interview after the draw, and it was really interesting,” Donovan said on his State of the Union podcast after the draw. "It was unique because most coaches say all the same stuff you're expecting, like, 'Oh, it's a difficult draw, it's gonna be so hard,' and his first comment was, 'We're satisfied.' I was like 'Really? Are you?' He just had this smugness about him, and I'm like, 'Alright, I can't wait.'

"I wish I was on the field. I wanna play these guys."

Donovan isn't the only legend to get into the fray. Australian icon Kewell took his opportunity to fire shots at the U.S. when asked about the reaction from over in the States.

“The USA is talking like they’re some unbelievable footballing – or soccer – nation,” Kewell told Code Sports. “I would love to play their golden generation against our golden generation. It wouldn’t even be a contest. I don’t know what they’re harping on about, I really don’t."

Kewell made things a bit more personal, too. When asked if he even knew who Grella was, Kewell said: "Nope, no idea."

Grella, for his part, has doubled and tripled down on his comments.

“What are they drinking over there?" he said. "Because they have no shot of doing anything at the World Cup.”

As all of this has played out in the media, the USMNT's players have been left to answer for the pundits' comments. Their answer has generally been the same: they don't represent the feelings of the USMNT, particularly after Australia's tournament opener.

While much of the talk in the early days of this World Cup has centered around the U.S., both as hosts and as a team. The day after the USMNT's 4-1 win over Paraguay, though, the Australians made a not-so-subtle statement that they cannot be overlooked.

In the lead-up to their opener, Turkey star Hakan Calhanoglu said that his side would "dominate" the opponent. He was made to regret that statement. Turkey had possession, yes, but Australia had the goals. The Socceroos won, 2-0, to start their World Cup on a high while also humbling a favored Turkish team.

“They came, they did their talking but they couldn’t back it on the field,” goalscorer Nestory Irankunda told reporters in Vancouver. “We got the win at the end of the day, and people can talk all they want, but if they’re not gonna put a performance out there on the pitch, then there’s no point in talking.

“Obviously, that gave us fire in our belly. It obviously did piss off a few boys, but at the end of the day, these guys can talk all their s***, so we don’t really care.”

The USMNT are determined to not to make the same mistake Turkey did. The U.S. may have the ball and they may have the run of play, but that won't guarantee a result. Because of that, the USMNT is stressing the importance of staying composed, both before and during the game.

"You saw the stuff with Turkey," Berhalter said. "Obviously, they had a hard time breaking them down and they were really good. I love the way they defended. They gave everything they had and it worked. They did really well. It's gonna be a great game, and you know they're gonna fight."

If the U.S. didn't know that from the Turkey game, they know it from the fall when they encountered this same Australia team in one of the fiercest games they played this cycle.

During halftime of that October friendly, players say Pochettino let it rip. The U.S. had pulled back a goal thanks to Haji Wright, making it 1-1, but Pochettino wasn't thrilled. Australia had brought intensity, and the USMNT wasn't matching it. Pulisic hobbled to the locker room midway through the first half after a hard tackle, one that went relatively unpunished by both the referee and the USMNT as a whole.

That, Pochettino said, wasn't excusable, which is why he let his team have it at halftime. The ramifications of that talk helped push the U.S. to where they are now, so much so that even players who weren't in the team that day reference it.

"You can see that they were, they're up for it, and they're putting challenges," Berhalter said, "and I think that's when Mauricio had that in the halftime rant. He said, 'These guys can't kick us around', and he's right."

Weah, who played the first 64 minutes of that game, a 2-1 win behind two Wright goals, remembers it well. For much of the first half, the U.S. was content to feel out the game. That isn't something you can do at this level. That was one of many lessons the U.S. had during a chaotic fall slate, one that players continue to say was transformative for this group.

"We were kind of just feeling them out, feeling how aggressive they were. We know that they're a World Cup-quality team, so that experience is fun," Weah said. "It was aggressive, and I think from that game in Colorado, we've changed a lot. I think we've got a bit more aggressive as well."

Both teams will be looking back at that friendly. Both, too, will acknowledge how much things have changed. The U.S. has clearly built in the months since, leading up to that win over Paraguay to start the World Cup. Australia has, too. With wins over the likes of Cameroon and Curacao as well as a draw with Switzerland during pre-World Cup preparation.

"I think we always knew there was gonna be a little bit of something," Australia midfielder Patrick Yazbek told GOAL in January. "I think they responded well in the first half but, overall, I think it was an exciting fixture for everyone, not just Australians or Americans. I think it's a good opportunity to now come up against the U.S. in the World Cup, and I think it's in both of our favor because we've had that experience against each other. Who's going to make the most of the lessons learned? I think we are."

That'll be what determines this weekend's game, not media jabs or talks of who does or doesn't respect who. Ultimately, Friday will be a game of lessons, and the team that has learned the most over these last few months will be the one positioning itself to, ultimately, win the group.

Those stakes are more than enough. All of the talk is just icing on the cake. In the end, all involved expect Friday's match to be fierce and physical. And, in front of a wild crowd in Seattle, all talk of layups will be put to bed on the field, not in the studio.

"We're going to make sure that we're prepared for the competition, for the game, because it's an amazing game," Weah said. "The players have respect for Australia, so we're going to make sure that we prepare well and come out how we need to."