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Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill, who was part of the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, gave a pregame speech to Team USA players before their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada on Friday.
Team USA beat Canada 5-3 to advance to the semifinals after O’Neill’s speech. But the speech also drew criticism from left-wing social media users inside and outside the US
Many critics of the speech criticized its pro-war messages and association of war with American values.
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Edouard Julien of Canada slides into second base against Brice Turang of the United States during the fifth inning at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Some Americans applauded the speech and hit back at critics.
“It’s incomprehensible that the comment section is full of angry people about an American hero telling a heroic story about the mission his team accomplished. We’ve gone from a post 9/11 country of patriotism to a country full of terrorist sympathizers,” wrote one X user.
One user wrote, “Epic! Well played by @USABaseball. An American hero and a legend in the clubhouse.”
USA BASEBALL BASEBALL MANAGER MARK DEROSA RESPONDS TO INTERVIEWS
Manager Mark DeRosa of Team USA during the national anthem before the game against Great Britain at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Photos by Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB via Getty Images)
The US will play the Dominican Republic in the WBC semifinals on Sunday.
The win over Canada marked the third time in less than a month that the Americans had crushed it Sports dreams in Canada on the world stage after Canada’s stunning victories at the men’s and women’s gold hockey games last month.
O’Neill wasn’t the only one to call Team USA ahead of the game.
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed that USA hockey legend Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada at the Olympics, reached out to American baseball players before Friday’s game.
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Aaron Judge of the United States shakes hands with his teammates before the game against Canada during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park March 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
“Jack Hughes sent the guys a nice little message that I put in their team chat,” DeRosa said in a press conference Thursday before the game.
“I know there are rumors that hockey jerseys will be sent tomorrow for the boys to wear during BP or when they go out to the clubhouse.
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