sports
Balogun: U.S. finding 'another gear' for knockouts...
Key takeaways
- After finishing atop Group D, the U.S. is set to play Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, in the round of 32.
- "I can feel the difference in just the atmosphere," Balogun told reporters before Sunday's practice session.
- "Not that I wasn't taking it seriously before, but you can just go into another gear because you want it more.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
After finishing atop Group D, the U.S. is set to play Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, in the round of 32. Whereas in the group stage teams can survive a poor result, that isn't the case now that the tournament is single-elimination.
"I can feel the difference in just the atmosphere," Balogun told reporters before Sunday's practice session. "It's knockout football, so you lose, you go home. So for me, there's a change in my mindset and mentality as well.
"Not that I wasn't taking it seriously before, but you can just go into another gear because you want it more. I don't want the journey to end."
Article preview — originally published by ESPN. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ESPN →
More top stories
Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ESPN alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place.
Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop