PREVIEW – Twice, the United States and England have met at the World Cup. The USA have never lost. In 1950, the USMNT pulled off a massive upset, beating England 1-0 in a group stage match. Fast forward 60 years later to 2010, and the iconic 1-1 draw that saw Rob Green spill a Clint Dempsey effort into the goal, to pull off a massive 1-1 draw. The stage is now set for a third bout between the two storied nations, and the US would love nothing more than to keep its unbeaten record against the footballing giants. Here are the squads:
USA v England Preview: Can history repeat itself?
England thrashed Iran 6-2 in it’s opening match on Monday. They asserted their dominance and took control of Group B. The USMNT were held to a draw against Wales, but it felt like it should’ve been 3 points. Gareth Bale buried a 82nd minute penalty to grab a point for Wales. The US know a loss would make for a real uphill battle to get out of the group, and England can clinch a spot in the knockouts with a win.
Keys to the Game
There’s no way around it. England are one of the favorites to win the tournament, and heavy favorites in this game. For the USMNT, the most important thing is to make this as difficult and physically and mentally tasking as possible. Press, get in their face, annoy them, let the tempers fire. Be annoying. For England, they need to just play their game, do what they do, and hope that their quality overwhelms the youth of the USA. Here’s how I expect the teams to lineup.
Projected Starting XIs
I don’t expect Gregg to change much from the Wales lineup. But with Dest and McKennie on yellow cards and having slight injuries, I think we see a couple of changes.
GK Matt Turner
RB Deandre Yedlin
CB Tim Ream
CB Walker Zimmerman
LB Antonee Robinson
CM Tyler Adams
CM Yunus Musah
CM Giovanni Reyna
RW Timothy Weah
ST Josh Sargent
LW Christian Pulisic
Gareth Southgate is kind of the English Gregg Berhalter. Stubborn in tactics, lineups, and player usage. I’d bet he trots out the same exact lineup as the Iran game.
GK Jordan Pickford
LB Luke Shaw
CB Harry Maguire
CB John Stones
RB Kieran Trippier
CM Jude Bellingham
CM Declan Rice
CAM Mason Mount
LM Bukayo Saka
RM Raheem Sterling
ST Harry Kane
Prediction
I don’t think this is gonna be the blowout a lot of people think it’ll be. If I were picking with my heart I’d say 3-2 USA in maybe the biggest win in USMNT history. But I’m gonna pick with my head, and my head is telling me England’s quality will prove to be too much. 2-1 England final score.
