Zusi on CONCACAF Cup: "This is one of those games that you'll never forget"

For the first time since 1976, the U.S. Men's National Team will play a one-game playoff on Saturday when the CONCACAF Cup between the United States and Mexico kicks off at 8:30 p.m. CT live on FOX Sports 1 from the sold-out Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Much more than bragging rights in the regional rivalry are at stake. The winner receives a berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. 

"This is an international trophy. This is the CONCACAF Cup. This is the ticket to the Confederations Cup in Russia," U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "It's a unique opportunity for every player to write a piece of history. How often do you play in a CONCACAF final against your biggest rival? People will talk for a long time about it."

Klinsmann's 23-player roster for tomorrow's match -- the biggest for the U.S. since the 2014 FIFA World Cup -- features Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler and playmaker Graham Zusi. 

"We've had a very good week of training so far," Zusi told SiriusXM FC on Thursday. "The guys are itching to get going.

"This sport is a results-based sport. If you don't get it done then things change. So there's certainly some pressure on everyone involved but I think we can take that pressure and really thrive off of it. We're going to a massive, sold-out stadium with a whole lot of energy and I think we're ready to feed off that energy to get the result that we need to get."

Zusi is no stranger to the USA-Mexico series in recent years. Since 2012, his four appearances against El Tri are most among American players. He is also one of only three members of the current roster that played in both World Cup qualifiers against Mexico in 2013, the last time these two teams met in a high-stakes setting.

"It's the history that we have with each other," Zusi said. "Some of the biggest games in U.S. history have been against a Mexican side. It's the mutual hatred between us. It's the storied matches that we've had in the past. You name it, this match has it. The hype that surrounds this game is what we play for. I couldn't be more excited to possibly step onto that field. I certainly hope I get the chance to do so because this is one of those games that you'll never forget."

CONCACAF Cup provides a chance for the United States to return to the Confederations Cup, where the Yanks were runners-up in 2009 but watched from home four years later when the tournament was played in Brazil.

Similarly, the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team will play Honduras on Saturday (2 p.m. CT on Telemundo) at Rio Tinto Stadium needing a win to clinch a spot in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. -- which opened the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship with two victories at Sporting Park last week -- missed out on the Summer Games in 2012 and now, like the senior team, can take an important step forward with a result tomorrow.

"It can't get any bigger than (Saturday) for soccer in our country on the men's side," Klinsmann said.