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‘Go surprise them all!’
Not Ange Postecoglou’s latest call for Celtic, but the four-syllable order issued by President Joe Biden to the US national team ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Summoned by coach Gregg Berhalter, Parkhead defender Cameron Carter-Vickers was caught on camera listening intently as Biden made a call from the White House to the team’s base ahead of the world’s greatest sports spectacle.
Speaking from his desk in the Oval Office, Biden urged Americans to ruffle some feathers in the Middle East, a feat they accomplished in qualifying for the tournament’s knockout phase.
Prideed by the ‘we never stop’ mantra espoused by the manager of his Australian club in Lennoxtown, Carter-Vickers was privileged to be among the select audience addressed by the free world leader last November.
USA defenseman Cameron Carter-Vickers is used to the ‘we never stop’ mantra on the Celtics
President Joe Biden called out the USMNT ahead of their opening game at the 2022 World Cup
Asked to compare Biden’s call to a Postecoglou pep talk, the player said: ‘They’re slightly different. I’d say Ange probably has a little more tactical soccer knowledge!
“Obviously, they’re both motivational people that you can take things from.
“We knew the president was going to be on the call when we walked into the meeting room and having someone like that supporting you definitely gives you a boost.”
Biden may be the commander-in-chief of the world’s largest military force, but in ‘football’ terms, the US is still an underdog.
Picked for his excellent form with Celtic, first on loan from Tottenham and then following a permanent £6m ($7.2m) transfer last summer, Carter-Vickers missed the first two drawn group games. against Wales and England, before being selected to start against Wales. They will go in the all-important third game.
That night in Doha, the United States achieved its only victory in the tournament and qualified for the round of 16, where it lost to the Netherlands.
However, that taste of victory enriched the experience of the defender who, at just turned 25, can reasonably expect another couple of chances to play on the world’s biggest stage.
“It was a great experience,” he reflects. “Being in the biggest tournament in the world was great for me personally, but I also got to play a match. I enjoyed it and learned from it.
President Biden called a team meeting with the USA to prepare for the match against Wales
Carter-Vickers joked that Ange Postecoglou has ‘a little more tactical knowledge’ than Biden
‘There is a very close bond between the coaches and the players within that group.
“With a tournament like that, you’re out for four or five weeks as a group and you have to get along with the people, otherwise it can be a horrible time.”
‘The US group definitely has that – we get along and socially it’s good.
“Americans are generally quite patriotic and you definitely saw that with some of the performances at the World Cup.”
In addition to their remote presidential hearing, each player on the United States team was commemorated in the form of a billboard prior to the start of the competition.
In Carter-Vickers’ case, that meant posting a roadside message in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the hometown of her father Howard, who was once a basketball player of some repute.
“My dad still lives there,” the defender continued. ‘He used to spend summers there and I still go see him when I can.
‘I have fond memories of those days when I was younger, spending time with family. All my father’s family is there: cousins, aunts, uncles.
The American centre-back featured in the USA’s group stage win over Iran in Qatar
‘They really entered the World Cup. I talk to my dad regularly, but he and the rest of the family were watching the games together.
“The billboards helped build support for the team, it can only be a positive and some of them were quite funny.
“Baton Rouge is a pretty big place, so I’m not sure if Dad went to take a look himself, but he said his friends and family were sending him pictures.”
Captaining the Americans in Qatar was Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, a player who has made quite an impression since his compatriot Jesse Marsch brought him to Britain.
Adams, a young 23-year-old captain, compares favorably with Carter-Vickers’ club captain Callum McGregor, who made his 400th appearance for Celtic last weekend.
“Callum is a great example for all of us,” he added. ‘Not just in games, but every day in training, he always sets the tone.
Tyler is similar. Every day you see him 100 percent into it. He is good vocally and motivates the team well.
“I always think as a captain you have to lead by example and they both certainly do.”
Carter-Vickers added that Callum McGregor (L) and Tyler Adams (R) compare favorably
After the Americans’ elimination in Qatar, Carter-Vickers enjoyed a break before returning to the gritty, familiar Postecoglou tone.
Celtic’s form since the December restart has been excellent with a handy draw at Ibrox the closest thing to a blot on their score sheet.
On Sunday one of the most catchy moments of the season returns to the scene. Taking the lead against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in October as the match went into stoppage time, Celtic conceded an equalizer to an Alex Mitchell header before rallying the force to pull off a winner from Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The mention of that day perplexes Carter-Vickers, possibly because the end result simply fell within the normal parameters of the “we never stop” ethos.
“We’re probably not thinking too much about the last game,” he said. “It was a while ago now and we are sure that if we can play at our level we will get the result.”
For much of the first half of the season, Carter-Vickers was denied his regular centre-back partner Carl Starfelt despite injury.
Taking the Swede’s place was Moritz Jenz, a loan signing who started each of the club’s six Champions League games and has since been transferred.
The American with his partner in the center of Celtic, Carl Starfelt
While Yuki Kobayashi has been brought in to compete for the job at Starfelt’s left side, Carter-Vickers appreciates the solidity and security of having his partner back for the long haul.
And the results confirm their opinion, since together they have recorded four clean sheets in a row.
He said: ‘I think the more you play with the same player or players around you, the better the understanding. You start to know where others will be without too much communication.
‘It’s a challenge to be a defender on this team. The demands placed on us by the manager are high.
“But I think a lot of our defensive work is also helped by our forward players, the way they push and put pressure on the other team when they have the ball.”
‘Carl and I get along well. I think we’re similar characters, both really easy going guys.
“I wouldn’t say that any of us are great communicators on the field. If something has to be said or something has to be organized, we will both do it.
“But we’ve played together for a long time and the way the coach sets us up is pretty clear.”
“I think everyone is clear about their role both in defense and in the future. So you don’t need too much communication.
‘In general, training is in tight areas and we train the way we play. The things we are asked to do in games we are asked to do every day in training.
‘It’s all about repetition really.’
Such repetition makes it difficult for Celtic to shock anyone much less ‘shock them all’. But it makes them incredibly hard to beat.