Tim Howard says the influence of American players from Mexican and German backgrounds has helped improve the USA national team.
The likes of Mexico-born Edgar Castillo, German-born pair Jermaine Jones and Fabian Johnson and players with experience in other leagues like Michael Orozco Fiscal, Jose Torres and Joe Corona (all Liga MX) have helped dramatically advance the US team's performances in recent times according to Howard.
"The Mexican-American players, the German-American players, they've been fantastic," the Everton goalkeeper said.
"I remember when we beat them (Mexico) 1-0 (at the Azteca last year), there was a feeling that we had a bunch of guys that were just familiar with the territory, with the language, the referees - all that stuff, I think it plays a part. It certainly helps."
