Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels Praise USMNT Ahead of Saturday Friendly

"A lot of the players, the development of the U.S. team and soccer is really, really big. I expect a tough game for us, a lot of good players, especially [their] offense is very talented." - Hummels

Ahead of the USMNT’s friendly vs. Germany on Saturday, 2014 World Cup winners Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller had high praise for the growth of the sport in the United States.

“I know they are a really young team…they are way, way younger than we are,” Hummels said at Thursday’s media availability. “A lot of the players, the development of the U.S. team and soccer is really, really big. I expect a tough game for us, a lot of good players, especially [their] offense is very talented.”

Müller shared a similar sentiment following team training on Thursday.

[Translated from German] “The Americans of course also have the development of American football, you can see it and feel it too,” Müller said. “[Mats Hummels] just said it, there was a time perhaps when American football, soccer was laughed at a bit.”

With all but a select few of the USMNT’s rostered players coming from Europe, both players also have experience playing against some of the country’s top talent at the club level — something that has not been the case in years past.

“I think you can also see at the tournaments, at the [World Cup] already and especially of course at the players who are already in the top European leagues,” Müller said. “We also know some of them from the Bundesliga, that there is speed, there is joy in playing, especially in the offense. We have to look forward to a good one [and] adjust physically too.”

Hummels echoed the same claim ahead of Saturday’s clash.

“I played with some of the guys and against some of the guys already, I really like to see the US team get better and better and I’m looking forward to a really good game against a strong opponent.”

Kickoff from Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday.