United States captain Tim Ream urged his teammates to embrace the pressure of ?a home World Cup on Monday, saying the tournament represents a once-in-a-career chance for the squad ahead of its opening match against Paraguay on Friday.

Speaking at the U.S. training base in Irvine, California, the defender said the co-hosts were well aware of the expectations surrounding them but insisted the players ?were putting the greatest demands on themselves.

¡°This is a once-in-a-career opportunity,¡± Ream said during a ?press conference ?before a public training session that attracted more than 5,000 fans under ?sunny Southern California skies.