4 months ago
CBS Sports
Just in time to hep with your Thanksgiving recovery, one of the most anticipated matches at the World Cup will be underway as England and the United States meet for a World Cup Group B clash. Warm up those leftovers and settle in for an exciting match that will be the biggest test that most members of this young United States men's national team squad have ever faced.
Fresh off of hanging six goals on Iran, the Three Lions will be confident coming into the match, but the United States can exploit their defense if they finish chances better than they did against Wales. The team will need to have short memories of Walker Zimmerman fouling Gareth Bale to drop two points and instead focus on the positives from the Wales match. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson were excellent in defense and even though the team only pulled off one counterattack for Tim Weah's goal, the passes were there to be hit.
This is also an interesting game with friendships and clubmates on opposing sides, so it will be tough to surprise Gareth Southgate and England. Jude Bellingham and Gio Reyna play together at Borussia Dortmund while Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount turn out for Chelsea. Matt Turner is not only in the same goalkeeping unit as Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal but also will face teammates Bukayo Saka and Ben White. Add in Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Ream, and Robinson all playing in the Premier League and there won't be many surprises which also works against England too.
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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United States: The biggest question facing Gregg Berhalter is about how he will line up the team. He declared that Reyna will play a part against England after not coming on against Wales, but will it be from the start? One of the things missing from the Wales match was a player who could take the ball on the dribble through the center of the pitch then pick their head up and spring the attack and this is an area where Reyna excels.
Starting Reyna would likely come at the expense of Weah which is harsh after his goal-scoring performance but also would let Berhalter bring a dynamic presence off of the bench. The USMNT wouldn't be able to out-press England without getting torn apart so a more conservative approach will be needed.
Along with that, Sergino Dest is too much of a liability to face England's wingers. Assuming that Weston McKennie is fit enough to start, then Dest should sit for Joe Scally or Shaq Moore. While it's risky due to both being unknowns, Berhalter knows what he has in Dest and it hasn't been great for a while. Adding Kellyn Acosta as a defensive midfielder could give Dest the cover that he needs while also taking Christian Pulisic off of set plays but he can't start over a healthy McKennie.
The United States are a team that plays up to their competition so they won't be blown away by England but the Three Lions have too much quality at the end of the day to be beaten leading to a must-win match against Iran on the final day of group stage play. Pick: England 2, United States 1
