CHICAGO - This, finally, was the awakening that U.S. national soccer team fans have been waiting for.
With the pressure on the program at the highest level of Jurgen Klinsmann's tenure, the Americans rose to the moment with a resounding 4-0 win over Costa Rica on Tuesday night at Soldier Field.
That pressure came not only from knowing that the game was a must-win if the United States was to have any hope of reaching the Copa America Centenario's knockout stages. It also was fueled by pregame remarks from U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati that implied Klinsmann's job might be on thin ice.