Antonee Robinson says his USA side can WIN the World Cup in Qatar and reminds his teammates of England’s patchy Nations League form this year – where they lost 4-0 to HUNGARY – to inspire them before vital Group B clash
If any member of the USMNT group needs extra inspiration before Friday’s game against England, they should speak to Antonee Robinson.
The Fulham defender has stoked the fires on the eve of his USA team’s World Cup tie with England and told them they can not only cause a shock against Gareth Southgate’s team but they can also go on and win the whole tournament in Qatar.
‘Yes. Everyone in our squad believes we can beat any team on our day, so why not think we can get out of this group and then go and win every knockout game?’ Robinson told The Times.
Antonee Robinson is in confident spirits before the USA’s World Cup game against England
He believes his team is good enough to beat England and go on and win the World Cup
But first, USA needs a result against England unsurprisingly, the defender who plays club football for Fulham in the English Premier League is confident.
Robinson’s inspiration, he says, comes from England’s bad form in Europe’s Nations League this year, where they failed to win in six games.
On top of that, England could not beat Italy in two games and lost twice to Hungary – in one game they were thrashed 4-0. Both Hungary and Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Robinson said: ‘We’re definitely an underdog. Our group is pretty tough but we’ve got to think we can go through and we have got to want it more than anyone.
‘I remember the day after that draw a headline in one of the English papers: ‘England have the easiest group’ and all that’s going to do is fire us and Wales up. You think you’re just going to come and get a win? It never goes like that.
England had a miserable time in the Nations League and even lost 4-0 to Hungary this year
But they looked in ominous form in their first World Cup game, beating Iran 6-2 in Qatar
‘You saw what happened in the Nations League, England losing to teams they thought they’d turn up and beat.’
Robinson won his 30th cap for the USA in the 1-1 draw against Wales in Group B on Monday.
England, meanwhile, looked to have recovered top form with an impressive 6-2 rout of Iran.