WASHINGTON – Mauricio Pochettino recently watched ‘Miracle,’ the 2004 film about the US hockey team’s Cinderella run to the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, on a recommendation from a Stateside acquaintance.

The US men’s national team ’s head coach says he took inspiration – was moved to tears, in fact – by the story. And now that his side have learned their group-stage assignments at the 2026 FIFA World Cup , he and his players can sketch a few more details into their own dreams of glory.

“Now the excitement grows. It makes it feel more real,” midfielder and Red Bull New York product Tyler Adams told reporters via videoconference after Friday’s World Cup draw. “But for this group, the anticipation was obviously a long time coming, to play on home

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