[CE] Imagine this.

"Russia struggled both at the set piece, with the scrum wilting under pressure at times and the lineout malfunctioning (...)"
"(...) the US kicked for touch but could not get over the line despite a sustained period of pressure." -USA Vs Russia

Place yourself in the shoes of these men. Close your eyes and put yourself on the field along with 29 other men, 14 others on your side, 15 against you. Now remember that millions are watching your every move in the game and those who do not get the chance to watch will be able to hear about it because reporters are attending the match and are taking detailed notes. Feel the pressure? Cause I sure do.
These men represent the entire country, not state, nor city. Doesn’t that add onto the pressure that was already there? I can barely handle the pressure of being on a team for Alameda Islanders with an average total of fifty people watching the game. Fifty people. That adds up to one hundred eyeballs! On top of that, the loss of a match in the World Cup will disappoint millions of Americans. On the other hand, if the Alameda Islanders lost a match in a tournament, it would not be a big deal. These men are on a whole other level. I cannot imagine how much pressure they feel, how they deal with it, nor how the moment itself feels. Props to the U.S.A’s rugby team for not only withstanding the pressure, but defeating the opposing team.