| England vs USA |
|---|
| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | England vs USA |
| DATE | 25/11/2022 |
| TIME | 12:30 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Al Bayt Stadium |
| LEAGUE | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| FULL TIME |
|---|
| England [0-0] USA |
Match Preview of England vs USA
Off the back of an emphatic victory in their opening 2022 World Cup fixture, England will endeavour to boost their hopes of securing top spot in Group B when they lock horns with USA at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Friday evening.
The Three Lions began their campaign by hitting Iran for six on Monday, while the Stars and Stripes were forced to share the spoils with Wales in their opening clash.
Following memorable highs of reaching the World Cup semi-finals four years ago and then the final of Euro 2020, optimism surrounding Gareth Southgate's squad had dipped heading to Qatar after a disappointing winless UEFA Nations League campaign.
However, the nation's hopes were boosted in emphatic style as the Three Lions roared to a 6-2 victory in their opening group game against Iran, their biggest-ever win in the first match of a major tournament.
Bukayo Saka scored either side of strikes from Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling in a dominant first-half showing, before substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish got their names on the scoresheet after the break.
Southgate took plenty of positives from his side's performance in a contest which saw nearly half an hour of stoppage time across the two halves, but he was left "fed up" after Porto's Mehdi Taremi netted two consolation goals for Iran. Indeed, the England boss has called for his players to improve their focus against a "full-throttle" USA outfit on Friday.
After claiming maximum points against Iran, England will look to win their opening two group matches at the World Cup for a fourth time when they face USA, having previously done so in 1982, 2006 and 2018. Their second fixture at the last World Cup saw Southgate and co cruise to a 6-1 victory against Panama, who missed out on a place in Qatar after finishing behind USA in CONCACAF qualifying.
England have won eight of their 11 meetings with USA across all competitions, scoring 39 goals in the process, and they will be keen to increase this tally to nine on Friday as they bid to move one step closer to the last 16.
After missing out on the 2018 World Cup, USA began their campaign in Qatar with a 1-1 draw against Wales on Monday, in a game they were leading until a certain Los Angeles FC star restored parity.
Timothy Weah initially fired the Stars and Stripes into a deserved lead nine minutes before the interval, but as Gregg Berhalter's side lost their spark in the second half, Wales stepped up their efforts and had their talisman Gareth Bale to thank for netting a crucial 82nd-minute equaliser from the penalty spot, after Walker Zimmerman clumsily scythed down the LAFC forward inside the area.
Our Predicted Lineups
England possible starting lineup:Pickford; Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Mount, Sterling; Kane
USA possible starting lineup: starting lineup:Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Ream, A. Robinson; McKennie, Adams, Musah; Weah, Sargent, Pulisic
Who will win the match?
We say: England 3-0 USA. Twelve years have passed since these two nations last locked horns on the international stage, and although England were forced to settle for a score draw against the USA in their last meeting, Southgate and co head into Friday's fixture in buoyant mood and as firm favourites to claim maximum points. While there have already been a couple shock results at this year's tournament in Qatar, the Three Lions will be confident of success in Al Khor and should have few problems in securing a routine victory over their American counterparts.