"Bruce, you were too modest before the game. That's not good. What if we actually lose? The reporters will have a field day with you." On the bench, Chen Yu, wrapped in a thin jacket, chatted with Alina.
The rain brought a surprising chill with it.
Alina pursed his lips, not without some embarrassment. "It's fine. Even if they write about it, no one will read it anyway."
'But thinking back on what he'd said, he realized Chen Yu was right. He had been far too modest.'
He had started by lavishing praise on Croatia, calling them the most underrated team in Europe. He'd said they were the biggest dark horse of last year's World Cup and that Davor Suker possessed a golden left foot as delicate as a violin.
Then he'd stated that the United States Team was approaching this match with the attitude of learning from the world's best, and that he would humbly accept the result, whatever it might be.
