U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been talking about wanting his U.S. team to go after big teams, and the Americans will have that chance against Argentina.

It is highly unlikely Jürgen Klinsmann was watching the Copa America in 1995. Still in the midst of his playing career, Klinsmann had just moved to German giants Bayern Munich, where he would enjoy a successful two year spell.

At the same time, across the Atlantic Ocean, the United States was preparing to head to Uruguay as an invited guest for the Copa America. Based in the city of Paysandú, the United States would eventually finish in fourth place, which remains their best ever placing in a Copa America. An impressive feat, it becomes more surprising when you consider they had placed 12th in the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador.

Just over 20 years on, Klinsmann sits on the cusp of bettering that. For all the talk of this summer’s tournament not being a ‘proper’ Copa America, it is worth remembering that Brazil sacked Dunga due to poor performance, and Colombia’s James Rodriguez even shed tears after advancing past Peru into the semi-finals on Friday.

Klinsmann will know the importance of Tuesday’s game. What he may not be aware of was the position the United States faced in 1995. That year they beat Argentina 3-0 in the group stages, despite being considerable underdogs. Besting a side that contained the likes of Diego Simeone, Ariel Ortega, and Gabriel Batistuta, some in Argentina described the day as the worst in country’s soccer history.

The threads that bind the Argentina side of 1995 and 2016 together are present. Lionel Messi, a generation defining athlete, recently matched Batistuta’s goal record for Argentina, which stands at 54. Messi is both creator and finisher, whereas Batigol was a pure forward. In 1995, the United States shut the former Fiorentina man out, and for 90 minutes he did not hear the ripple of a goal net after the ball had left his boot.

Batistuta’s frugality in front of goal was partially self imposed. He missed chances, but when he did hit the target, he found an inspired Kasey Keller between the posts. “Kasey was sensational that night,” Frank Klopas said in an interview with Yahoo Sport UK. “He saved us a few times that night.”

The United States must now shut out another star forward, and Klinsmann would be remiss not to take some lessons from that evening. The United States played with a confidence and composure on the ball. They owned the moment, and went into the game intending to outplay Argentina. The USMNT of 1995 also crashed into tackles with a committed approach on that cold night in Paysandú. They fought for each other as if it were their last game together, and bulldozed an Argentina side that simply were not ready for the pace of play that awaited them. Supplementing that with a slick, direct style of play, it was arguably their best performance of the tournament. Confidence was key then and key now.

Klinsmann’s side will likely try to counter attack against Argentina. The German coach’s footballing philosophy is reminiscent of a counter puncher in boxing. Instead of finding small gaps of space, the United States wold rather allow their opponent to create opportunities for them by inviting them into their half.

With that as his start point, Klinsmann has sought to put pace in key areas of the side. His love for DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson is in part due to the fact it facilitates a quick transition from back to front. Meanwhile in attack, the emergence of Bobby Wood, and to a lesser extent Jordan Morris, is in someway a consequence of his need for speed.

Such a tactic has considerable advantages. It means against a team like Argentina, the United States can sit deep and make the most of their underdog status. However, when tasked with a lesser known side or a team that want to give up possession, things get tough.

It should come as no surprise that Klinsmann’s biggest win during this tournament arrived against a side that flooded forward in attack. Costa Rica were cavalier from the first minute of the match, and left sizable gaps at the back. Using Wood’s pace, the United States turned the ball from front to back quickly and broke on Los Ticos. The United States also used a high press against Costa Rica, a tactic that worked expertly for their fourth and final goal of the game.

The same approach against Argentina could open them up to be picked off. Gerardo Martino’s team is slick in possession, and it will likely mean the United States have to be patient in their approach. Even then, the United States’ defensive game has been far from impenetrable. But for some fortunate bounces and Brad Guzan heroics against Ecuador, the United States would be out of the tournament. Such lapses in concentration will be punished by Argentina, whom themselves require only one opening for Lionel Messi to land a knockout blow.

Story continues