World Cup scouting report – United States

Posted on | April 28, 2010 | No Comments

Clashes between England and United States inevitably bring up references to the “miracle on grass”, the famous 1-0 American win at the 1950 World Cup. That result is generally accepted as the biggest ever upset in football history and the Three Lions finally have a chance for revenge – the teams’ showdown in Group C is their first World Cup meeting since that famous match.

England have set the record straight in overall meetings with United States, winning eight and losing one since that shock defeat, scoring 35 goals along the way. Anything other than an English win would be a surprise, but the Stars and Stripes are perhaps as strong as they ever have been.

Comfortable qualifiers from CONCACAF, Bob Bradley’s outfit are well-organised and hard to beat, at least until recently. They have lost four of their last five friendly matches, all against fellow World Cup participants, but a weakened squad was often a mitigating factor. Anyone working from a betting guide would do well to mark those results as blips.

Key European-based players such as Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Bradley will be present when England open their campaign against the States at Rustenburg on June 12th. Most of the squad will be well known to Fabio Capello and his management team.

The main player to watch is Landon Donovan. The LA Galaxy playmaker helped kick-start Everton’s campaign during his recent loan spell, leaving English fans in no doubt about his capability at the highest level.
Donovan was named the tournament’s best young player at the 2002 finals and is now the elder statesman of the team. He has scored 42 goals in 121 appearances, not bad for a 28-year-old. His clever passing and movement will be the biggest threat to Capello’s often suspect defence, but USA are more than a one man team.

Things get easier after facing the Americans, but a frustrating stalemate, an attractive option in the best betting site odds, will not give England confidence. United States should qualify with ease and are a good bet to repeat their 2002 run to the quarter finals.

Related posts:

1. Slovenia vs United States preview- Group C
2. Round of 16 – United States vs Ghana preview
3. Argentina vs United States preview
4. United States – Confederations Cup Group B
5. United States v Brazil preview

Comments