Previous World Cup appearances: 10Best performance: Third (1930)First appearance: 1930 (Uruguay)Top goal scorer: Landon Donovan (5)Most appearances: Landon Donovan (12)Player to watch: Christian PulisicFIFA world ranking: 16Realistically, the United States national team should be satisfied with a round of 16 appearance in this summer’s World Cup.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listBut some believe the team could go much further, including coach Mauricio Pochettino. Nothing wrong with shooting high, but the question is: How high?And that is where Pochettino might have toned it down during a presentation of the team roster on Tuesday in New York. Instead, the broadcast signed off with former US defender Alexi Lalas and Pochettino saying, in unison, “Why not us?” – implying the US has a realistic chance of winning the 2026 World Cup.“American people, it’s always about to dream, it’s about to do the impossible,” Pochettino said.Host Landon Donovan had gotten the ball rolling earlier in the show, telling Bournemouth and national team star Tyler Adams it would be “amazing” to return to the New York area on July 19, the date of the final, across the Hudson River, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Sure, it would be great, and prognosticators and supporters can go around saying so.But coaches and players do not need to go overboard. The time-tested method is usually to give the impression you’re exceeding expectations, rather than falling short.As for the US’s prospects of winning the World Cup, remember, the team has only made it to the quarterfinals once since 1930. Advertisement Nor was the television show much of a reveal. First off, the U …
