Algeria's surprising 0-0 draw with England saved it from becoming the first team to exit the World Cup. Now the north African team is targeting a win over the United States and a spot in the next round.
"If Algeria plays to its potential we don't need to worry about our opponents," midfielder Karim Matmour said Sunday. "If we play our style of football we can beat any one."
Algeria, with only one point in Group C, must beat the United States on Wednesday in Pretoria to stand a chance of progressing to the World Cup's knockout stage for the first time. England plays Slovenia at the same time in the tight group's other match.
Slovenia leads the group with four points, followed by the United States and England with two points apiece.
Matmour knows it will be tough against a higher-ranked U.S. team which salvaged a 1-1 draw against England to open the group and then rallied from 2-0 down at half time against Slovenia for a 2-2 draw.
Algerian teams in the past have featured highly skilled players who did not play well together, and that has hurt them against superior teams.
Now, veteran coach Rabah Saadane has honed the combinations.
"I play for the team. That is every player's job," Matmour said. "Today's football is very physical. Skill is just for the final meters."
But Algeria will need to turn on the skill when they get within range - the Desert Foxes have yet to score at this World Cup, losing 1-0 to Slovenia before its goalless draw with England.
Even so, Matmour said the players are drawing confidence from their run at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year when they lost their first match but recovered to make a run to the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Egypt.
Medhi Lacen, a midfielder who plays for Racing Santander in Spain, said he knew little about the United States before the tournament, but has been impressed by their battling displays so far.
"I've seen their matches here and they look good," he said. "They showed against Slovenia that they're capable of fighting back."
Algeria showed that it can handle the pressure of must-win matches when it exacted revenge for its African Cup semifinal defeat by beating Egypt 1-0 in a highly charged one-match playoff in Sudan to reach the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.
And it will attempt to do it again against the Pretoria - as a team.
"Our strength is playing collectively," captain Anther Yahia said. "We know if we don't play as a team we can't win."
