Tim Howard spoke highly of the New York Fire Department following the USA's 1-0 win over Jamaica on Tuesday night.
The Everton goalkeeper and his US teammates produced a winning performance in 2014 World Cup qualifying whilst remembering those that fought for their country the day the September 11 attacks hit New York City.
Firefighters from the NYFD were honoured prior to the match and Howard was again full of praise for them after listening to one of the courageous men address the team.
"You get a sense of what sacrifice means. We use a lot of buzzwords in sports like sacrifice and hard work and fight and life-and-death and it's not those things," he said.
"What they do on a team of firefighters, every time they go to their game - every time they get called to a fire - it's could be life or death, it's real.
"To hear someone speak humbly about that really puts it in perspective and also lets you know you can give an extra edge. To hear his words of heroism and patriotism was cool."