Jurgen Klinsmann has insisted the United States will be playing to win when they face a Germany team managed by his old friend Joachim Loew on Thursday.
The United States' thrilling 2-2 draw with Portugal in Group G on Sunday has left Klinsmann's side level on four points heading into their final game.
A draw in Thursday's match in Recife would see Germany qualify as group winners with the United States finishing runners up.
That scenario has brought back memories of the notorious 1982 group match between West Germany and Austria.
In that game, both teams qualified at the expense of Algeria after a mutually beneficial 1-0 German victory where both sides went through the motions.
Klinsmann said there is no chance of similar skulduggery tarnishing the US-Germany game on Friday.
"You’re talking about a game that is decades ago," Klinsmann said in reference to the 1982 game.
"That is only a part of Germany’s history and not part of the United States’s history. I think if you look at the past of the US team, we always try to make things happen.
"We have that fighting spirit, and we give everything in every game," said Klinsmann.
"We will go to Recife and we will give everything to beat Germany. That is our goal."
Klinsmann said even though he was good friends with Loew -- his assistant during his time as Germany coach -- there would be no question of the two men reaching a gentleman's agreement before kick-off.
"Jogi is doing his job. We are good friends, and I am doing my job. My job is to get everything done to get us into the round of 16, and that is what I’m going to do. There is no time now to have friendship calls. That time is done.
"Both teams go into this game and they want to win the group. So we go into this game and try to beat Germany. To put ourselves in the driver seat for the last-16, that is our goal."
The Americans were denied a place in the second round on Sunday after Silvestre Varela equalised just seconds from the final whistle in Manaus.
Source: AFP