Dempsey: Costa Rica a 'must-win situation' for USMNT

United States forward Clint Dempsey isn't leaving much room for interpretation in his assessment of the importance of his side's upcoming Copa America Centenario fixture against Costa Rica, labeling the match a "must-win" fixture for his team.

Following a 2-0 loss at the hands of Colombia to kick off Group A, the pressure is on the U.S. to pick up points against Costa Rica and Paraguay if Jurgen Klinsmann's side is to advance into the knockout stage.

"It's a must-win situation, backs against the wall," Dempsey said, according to ESPN FC. "It's going to be a difficult game. They know they got a result that puts them in position to get out of the group. And for us, it's a must-win. So it's going to be a difficult challenge."

Dempsey acknowledged that the task won't be easy, giving Costa Rica plenty of credit, especially after the CONCACAF side made it all the way to the 2014 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

"They've shown in major competitions that they can perform well, like they did last World Cup," Dempsey said. "We're on home soil. We got to bring it.

"We have to go out and motivate the crowd, work hard and inspire them and get them on our side. We appreciate the support. It's always awesome to be in the stadium and have a pro-American crowd. But at the same time, actions speak louder than words. We have to go out there and show what we can do."