Frankie Hedjuk
On playing in Paris: “Now that we got to town we feel like stars. It’s cool. Every person you see has their team colors on. Everyone is having a good time.”
Brian Maisonneuve
On the team’s preparation: “We had a lot of time to practice and concentrate at the Chateau [Chateau Pizay north of Lyon] and now everyone is excited and ready to play.”
Roy Wegerle
On the Germany match: “They are very confident, but it’s going to be interesting. I think we will make something happen.”
Marcelo Balboa
On the US teams attitude: “We know what we are capable of doing. That is going out having fun and playing well. We are not going to wait for them to come at us, we will hopefully put Germany on there heels. You have got to just come out and play.”
Steve Sampson
On the pressure of the Germany game: “The first two games are very important. A loss makes the Iran game crucial. The key is to make the third game a live game [having potential to reach second round].”
On the US players that have played in Germany: “They have knowledge of many German players strengths and weaknesses. That is a big help. They know how they think.”
On the play thus far in the 98 World Cup: “I’ve been impressed with the offense and directness. There has been much more flair.”
On the importance of the World Cup: “There has been a two-year process culminating in a one month tournament. That shows you the importance of the World Cup. We have at least three chances and we want to demonstrate how we have improved as a soccer team.”
On playing Germany first: “There is a advantage to playing Germany first. Great teams like Germany and Brazil get better as the tournament goes along. They learn quickly from their mistakes.”
On the mood of the team: “We are calm and confident. I think it’s good to be a little nervous. The guys are enjoying themselves.”
