Tough job Team USA coach Ron Wilson says the U.S. is trying to prove its World Cup win wasn't a fluke. There is tremendous pressure on the Canadians to win here. Until Wilson and the Americans won there. I don't think we really snuck up on anybody last year. In that respect, things have changed for us since we won the World Cup.
Expectations are greater.
Unfortunately, expectations have a way of weighing on a team, slowing it down, but I think we have a tight group of guys who can deflect that. Wilson looked around at a couple of hundred reporters from around the globe who showed up for a simple introductory news conference Tuesday. That has changed since Team USA upended Canada a year ago. But I imagine to the rest of the world, winning a gold medal is even more important. The U.S. will open against Sweden Friday, then play Belarus Saturday before facing Canada to wind up first-round action on Monday.