Coach hopes U.S. toughens up in knockout stage

PHILADELPHIA » Jurgen Klinsmann wants a transformed mentality when the United States opens the knockout phase of the Copa America on Thursday.

“The whole old story is the underdog story, and I cannot hear that story anymore,” the U.S. coach said. “I want to see them risk things. Let’s go for it. Because if you’re not going for it, sooner or later they’re going to break you down.”

After beating Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday night despite playing nearly the entire second half a man down, the U.S. won Group A on goal difference over Colombia and advanced to a quarterfinal in Seattle against Ecuador, Peru or Brazil.

The Americans still can be timid at times against soccer powers.

Klinsmann won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany and the 1996 European Championship with Germany, spending 15 years with high-level clubs.

“Knockout stage is very mental-driven,” he said. “It’s when you step on the field and you see certain jerseys, it’s kind of sniffing at each other and saying: ‘I’m ready for you.”’

Aside from the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Americans’ only knockout stage wins have been over Mexico in the second round of the 2002 World Cup, against Spain in the semifinals of the 2009 Confederations Cup and over Mexico on penalty kicks in the 1995 Copa America quarterfinals.