Klinsmann before opener: “I booked my flight for after the final”

There’s been a whole lot of hullabaloo over Jurgen Klinsmann’s comments that winning the World Cup is “unrealistic” for his United States squad.

So if many outlets are going to talk about his comments without including the subsequent, “the sky is the limit” if they get out of Group G line, then we should probably give equal time to his comments from the eve of Monday night’s 6pm ET opener against Ghana.

From USSoccer.com:

“In every area the game is growing and we have the chance to be the locomotive with the National Team. We embrace that and take it one step at a time. Our goal is to go far and I booked my flight to come back after the final.”

The comments were among many hopeful quotes from the US head coach and his players as they prepare to open their World Cup this evening at the Arenas das Dunas in Natal.

Here’s Clint Dempsey:

“We’re excited about the opportunity to play against Ghana, which is a top team. But at the same time, if we play with the best of our ability, we have the quality to go far in this tournament, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

... and Michael Bradley:

“It’s clear that as the game continues to grow in our country, so do the expectations – the media, the focus – and so I think we all welcome that. We welcome the pressure of playing in a World Cup. We know that it won’t be easy, but we certainly feel like if we step on the field and are sharp and are able to play to the best of our ability that we can have a really good World Cup.”

With CONCACAF off to a solid start in the tournament -- the confederation is 2-1 with Honduras’ 10-man loss to France the blemish on Costa Rica and Mexico’s impressive wins -- the States will be looking to bring more good vibes to the continent.

And maybe we can stop pretending Klinsmann’s telling his guys they are going to lose and might as well just get hammered before the matches even begin?

Follow @nicholasmendola