United States defender Antonee Robinson said no one is going into Saturday's friendly against Mexico "thinking this is a friendly" and that he has told the younger players on the roster to expect an even higher level of feistiness than they saw at the end of Tuesday's 4-2 win over Chile.
"I feel like ever since I first played against Mexico, it's always been the same," Robinson said. "It doesn't matter whether it's a qualifier or a friendly, Nations League, Gold Cup, it's always a fierce competition."
Teammate Sergiño Dest echoed those sentiments, noting the rivalry's intensity. For many players on the U.S. team, this will be their first encounter against Mexico at senior level. Robinson emphasized the need to prepare the young newcomers for the heightened atmosphere, especially with a pro-Mexico crowd expected.
"There was a glimpse of the fire that teams like that can bring at the end of the Chile game," Robinson said. "So, we've been saying to the young boys that you're going to expect that and a lot more when we play against Mexico."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing