As USA World Cup barbs fly, the Socceroos get motivated to have the final word

T he poisoned words have added sizzle to the Socceroos’ clash against the USA, and underlined the Australians’ belief in their status as underdogs. Commentators have described the Socceroos as a “lay up” for the Americans. That they don’t have any good players. That they are nothing but an average team with a “smug” coach. USA midfielder Sebastian Berhalter – even as some teammates took a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday – chose to continue the war of words: “I think one [of this team’s core beliefs] is that we’re American. We don’t take shit.” It was a surprisingly aggressive contribution to the escalating hype around the match which has not often been respectful. Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati offered a simple reply to Berhalter later in the day. “I’ve got no response to that,” he said. “I mean, we don’t take it [shit] either. We’re just out there to play a game of football, to win, and to do our best.” The slandering began late last year when the USA were drawn against Australia. Former professional player and now TV pundit Mike Grella said the Socceroos represented a “lay-up” for the hosts. Grella addressed the backlash to his comments on Wednesday: “I’ve got tell you something, I don’t think they’ve ever been more united as a football side. …