England vs USA: Three Lions look to secure safe passage to the knockouts against the USA
England head into Friday’s Group B meeting with old foes the USA at the Al Bayt Stadium searching for a win to secure their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.
Confidence is high among Gareth Southgate’s squad following a 6-2 win against Iran in their opening game, but a series of injury concerns coupled with their tournament history against the US could be cause for concern.
Captain Harry Kane underwent a scan on his ankle in the week but is expected to be fit, although James Maddison, Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Raheem Sterling have all missed training sessions in the build-up to the meeting with the States.
These absences could prove pivotal for Southgate, as even though the Three Lions have only failed to beat the USA three times across their international history, two of those occasions were at World Cups.
A 1-0 defeat in 1950 in Belo Horizonte to a side made up of semi-professional players still goes down as one of the biggest surprises in tournament history, and a bobbling Clint Dempsey shot that squirmed beyond Rob Green in South Africa in 2010 is one of the abiding memories of one of England’s most recent failures.
There does appear to be greater pressure on Gregg Berhalter’s men to secure a win on Friday though. After a 1-1 draw with Wales in their opener, the US are in need of points to boost their hopes of progressing from the group stages.
Even though both Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were both forced off on Monday night with knocks, the midfield duo are set to be available to face England.
This could be all important as both provided energy and enthusiasm in a promising first half for the USMNT against the Welsh that saw them take the lead through Timothy Weah before being pegged back by Gareth Bale’s 82nd-minute penalty.
England will be firm favourites to secure victory regardless of who lines up for the US, particularly after the ease with which they swept aside Iran.
But with history on their side and this World Cup already proving to be as unpredictable as any other, the Americans are more than capable of producing an upset.
