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Preview: USMNT face first serious Gold Cup test against Saudi Arabia

Preview: USMNT face first serious Gold Cup test against Saudi Arabia

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Group D favourites USA will face a similarly depleted Saudi Arabia side in a match where the winner can almost certainly seal progression to the knockouts.

By Neel Shelat

Pressure still on the USMNT

The USA endured their first four-match losing streak since 2007 in the lead up to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Having also suffered a surprise defeat in the CONCACAF Nations League to Panama in that run, pressure certainly was mounting on Mauricio Pochettino and his rather depleted squad going into the Gold Cup.

Their 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game might have helped ease nerves a little, but that result should count for little in the wider scheme of things. The challenge for the Argentine coach is not to thrash significantly weaker sides but to set his team up to consistently get results against opponents of a more similar stature. The upcoming match will be more meaningful in this respect, though it will not be entirely representative either.

Saudi Arabia also missing key players due to Club World Cup

While the USMNT are without their core group of players due to a myriad of reasons, Gold Cup invitees Saudi Arabia also have to make do without some stars for the tournament. Seven of their players were not available for selection due to domestic giants Al Hilal’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. The absentees include star forward Salem Al-Dawsari, scorer of the famous goal against Argentina at the last World Cup and the Green Falcons’ leading active goal-scorer, as well as key midfielder Mohamed Kanno.

Looking to make the most of the situation, head coach Hervé Renard handed out starts to four players aged 23 or younger in their tournament opener against Haiti. While Saudi Arabia came away with a win, their performance was far from convincing, so they will need to step things up if they are to really challenge the USMNT.

Saudi Arabia preparing for World Cup qualification challenge

While Saudi Arabia will have an eye on the Gold Cup title like all strong competitors, their biggest task of the year is to seal World Cup qualification. Six Asian teams booked their berths in the 2026 edition of the tournament earlier this month at the conclusion of the AFC’s third qualifying round, including Japan and Australia who finished ahead of the Green Falcons in their group. So, they will have to go again in the fourth round, which they will co-host along with Qatar.

Ticket sales remain slow

Between the volatile political situation in the United States, reports and fears of ICE agents operating around stadiums and an over-saturation of summer soccer action in the country, it should be no surprise that ticket sales for the Gold Cup have not gone well in the States. At the time of writing, at least half of the seats for this match are unsold.

Prediction

The USMNT should be considered clear favourites for this match after Saudi Arabia’s performance against Haiti, so they should aim to win by a multi-goal margin.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Gold Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Preview: USMNT face first serious Gold Cup test against Saudi Arabia

Group D favourites USA will face a similarly depleted Saudi Arabia side in a match where the winner can almost certainly seal progression to the knockouts.

By Neel Shelat

Pressure still on the USMNT

The USA endured their first four-match losing streak since 2007 in the lead up to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Having also suffered a surprise defeat in the CONCACAF Nations League to Panama in that run, pressure certainly was mounting on Mauricio Pochettino and his rather depleted squad going into the Gold Cup.

Their 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game might have helped ease nerves a little, but that result should count for little in the wider scheme of things. The challenge for the Argentine coach is not to thrash significantly weaker sides but to set his team up to consistently get results against opponents of a more similar stature. The upcoming match will be more meaningful in this respect, though it will not be entirely representative either.

Saudi Arabia also missing key players due to Club World Cup

While the USMNT are without their core group of players due to a myriad of reasons, Gold Cup invitees Saudi Arabia also have to make do without some stars for the tournament. Seven of their players were not available for selection due to domestic giants Al Hilal’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. The absentees include star forward Salem Al-Dawsari, scorer of the famous goal against Argentina at the last World Cup and the Green Falcons’ leading active goal-scorer, as well as key midfielder Mohamed Kanno.

Looking to make the most of the situation, head coach Hervé Renard handed out starts to four players aged 23 or younger in their tournament opener against Haiti. While Saudi Arabia came away with a win, their performance was far from convincing, so they will need to step things up if they are to really challenge the USMNT.

Saudi Arabia preparing for World Cup qualification challenge

While Saudi Arabia will have an eye on the Gold Cup title like all strong competitors, their biggest task of the year is to seal World Cup qualification. Six Asian teams booked their berths in the 2026 edition of the tournament earlier this month at the conclusion of the AFC’s third qualifying round, including Japan and Australia who finished ahead of the Green Falcons in their group. So, they will have to go again in the fourth round, which they will co-host along with Qatar.

Ticket sales remain slow

Between the volatile political situation in the United States, reports and fears of ICE agents operating around stadiums and an over-saturation of summer soccer action in the country, it should be no surprise that ticket sales for the Gold Cup have not gone well in the States. At the time of writing, at least half of the seats for this match are unsold.

Prediction

The USMNT should be considered clear favourites for this match after Saudi Arabia’s performance against Haiti, so they should aim to win by a multi-goal margin.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Gold Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.