That was the message throughout two weeks of preparation, first in the pre-camp with MLS players in Bradenton, Fla., and continuing with the full group in Orlando leading up to Friday night’s rematch with Les Rouges.
"One of our observations after the game in Toronto is that when we're playing these games away from home, the opponent is playing these games like it's the biggest game of their lives," USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said during the week.
"Canada hadn't beaten us in 34 years and was playing like that. For us to be successful at away venues we need to match that intensity or exceed that intensity. And that's been a consistent message in this camp."
The group responded to the challenge, with Jordan Morris finishing off a corner kick play in the game’s second minute and setting a standard that would last for 90 minutes.
“We wanted to set the tone from the start,” defender Aaron Long said. “We were going to be very physical and show the fight we didn’t have last game.”
