MANAUS, Brazil (AP) – The United States can accomplish a pair of American firsts with a win over Portugal on Sunday night: reaching the knockout stage of consecutive World Cups and advancing with a game to spare.
Moths and mosquitoes circled when the Americans took the field for practice Saturday evening at Arena da Amazonia, a 40,000-seat stadium built for $290 million in a remote area of the rainforest.
The Americans opened with a 2-1 win over Ghana, and Portugal started with a 4-0 loss to Germany. Ghana tied Germany 2-2 on Saturday, clearing the path for the U.S.
A few minutes later, a double rainbow shimmered over the stadium as the Americans started their practice.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard says: “That’s a good result for us, to know that if we can win, we take care of business, the rest is history.”