A day after thrashing Paraguay 4-1 at the World Cup, the United States squad did not get a day off to rest their minds. They got something better: three nine-week-old puppies scampering around the training center in Irvine, California.
Their names are Bud, Dew Drop and Bloom, they are terrier mixes, and they arrived with Wags and Walks, an NGO that rescues animals from shelters. Christian Pulisic, Matt Freese, Chris Richards and Giovanni Reyna sat on the grass to play with them as if the pressure of a World Cup did not exist. Everything was organized by Purina, the federation’s official pet partner, with the approval of Mauricio Pochettino.
Bud and Dew Drop already have families. Bloom, the smallest, is still waiting for someone to adopt her. And if the team keeps advancing in the tournament, there are already talks to repeat the canine therapy before each knockout match.