U.S. soccer team is feeling the heat ahead of Tuesday’s Copa America match in Chicago against Costa Rica

From the moment that Cristian Zapata scored in the eighth minute of Colombia’s 2-0 victory over the U.S. last Friday in the Copa America Centenario, the chorus of frustration from American soccer fans and media began to swell.

Among their cries: The U.S. still was not ready to compete on an elite international level; Coach Juergen Klinsmann was utilizing his players out of position; Klinsmann was relying too heavily on aging veterans while younger players were missing a chance to gain valuable experience; and, is Klinsmann the right coach to lead the U.S. into the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

It was a lot of talk for one group-play loss to one of the top-ranked teams in the world. But as the Americans prepare for their second match Tuesday at Soldier Field against Costa Rica, they have put on earmuffs when it comes to external noise.

“I don’t spend two seconds worrying about what the reaction is or what the narrative on the outside is,” U.S. captain Michael Bradley said Monday. “[The media] are going to write what [they] write, people are going to think what they think and ultimately we’ve got much bigger things to worry about than what goes on on the outside.

“Since I’ve been on this team, one of its strengths has always been the ability to respond on big days.”

Even if they professed to ignoring the criticism, the U.S. players and Klinsmann acknowledged that Tuesday is one of those big days.

Klinsmann made it his goal for the U.S. to advance to the semifinals in a crowded tournament that includes five of the top nine teams in the FIFA world rankings. Though he said that Friday’s match was more even than the score indicated, the Americans have to be better for a match he termed a “must win” if they want to advance out of the group stage.

The U.S. sits in last place in Group A after Costa Rica and Paraguay played to a 0-0 draw Saturday. Costa Rica will play Tuesday without goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who reportedly will undergo surgery to repair a left Achilles injury.

A draw would keep alive the U.S. hopes of advancing; a loss would eliminate the Americans.

“We all do understand what’s at stake,” Klinsmann said. “We were very disappointed after [Friday] because we thought we actually played a really good game. Then you read the final result and a lot of opinions go different ways then.”

Starting goalkeeper Brad Guzan said the U.S. wasn’t feeling any added pressure after Friday’s loss.

“There’s pressure, No. 1, whenever you wear the shirt, and No. 2, when you step on the field,” Guzan said. “We know it’s a big game. There’s no denying that. We know it’s an important game, and as professionals these are the games you want to be a part of.”

The U.S. would like to be a part of more significant games in this tournament, but that might not happen without a strong performance Tuesday. Klinsmann said the Americans, who controlled possession against Colombia, were working to shore up their passing and set pieces.

Bradley took a broader view when asked what the U.S. had to improve.

“More than talking about little details, my point is that people at times want to find a few things and talk about them,” Bradley said. “I would go the other way and say in a basic way, we need more guys to play better and play better as a team.”

Or else they won’t be playing in the Copa for much longer.

chine@tribpub.com

Twitter @ChristopherHine