LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — For most national soccer teams, playing a tournament on home turf is a huge advantage. For the United States, it can be the opposite.

In the Gold Cup final last year, the US lost in a Houston stadium overwhelmingly packed with rival Mexico fans. The semi-final in St Louis, Missouri, was a sea of light blue for their opponents Guatemala.

There were similar scenes at the US-hosted Copa America a year earlier.