Postcards from the World Cup: Did the Knicks just inspire big things from the USMNT?

Since arriving in Southern California earlier this week, the team has been absorbed by the NBA Finals. They watched on Monday night, with many on the team unhappy with the outcome, when the Spurs won. There's a heavy East Coast influence on this team, which makes them different from past iterations that relied heavily on Californians.

A lot of key players on the current team come from the Northeast, many from New York. Joe Scally - from Lake Grove, a village on Long Island - observed how odd it was to watch Game 3 so early in the day, as he and others were unaccustomed to East Coast events starting three hours earlier on the West Coast.

So when the Knicks secured their improbable comeback in Game 4, many on the U.S. team were thrilled, and a clip of them celebrating wildly went viral, with Tyler Adams - from Wappingers Falls, 30 miles north of New York City - jumping on the couch in disbelief.

The video captured their joy but also made some supporters cringe. The players dogpiled on each other, including Chris Richards - just back with the team after an ankle injury. Getting injured celebrating another team's victory would be a lousy way to miss the World Cup opener.

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Fans turned out in droves to see the U.S. men's national team hold a training session ahead of their first match on Friday, with over 32,000 applying for free tickets to see them prepare.

But the American team - which embarks on a crucial journey against Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium - had a timely reminder of the power and passion of sports. Of the never-say-die attitude and total belief that is required to advance in a tournament.

If the U.S. players can harness a tiny bit of what the Knicks showed them, they should get off to a good start.

June 11, 2026

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Ann Killion

Sports Columnist

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