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Five things that will decide England v USA at the 2022 World Cup

The USA’s 2022 World Cup hopes will be on the line when they face England on Friday with Gregg Berhalter’s team in desperate need of points to make the round of 16. The US impressed in spells against Wales on Monday, but were ultimately pegged back to a 1-1 draw after allowing the opposition back into the game in the second half.

England will be heavy favourites to collect three points, especially after their 6-2 win over Iran, but the USMNT could hurt Gareth Southgate’s team in a number of different ways. Here are five things that will determine the outcome of the 2022 World Cup fixture.

The supply line into Timothy Weah

Timothy Weah scored the USA’s opening goal of the 2022 World Cup following a quick transition moment which saw Christian Pulisic feed the Lille winger with a well-timed pass. The US will need more moments of quick transition if they are to get on the score sheet against England with the Three Lions almost certain to control possession.

Weah can provide the vertical threat to get in behind England with Harry Maguire in particular not exactly renowned for his recovery speed. However, the USMNT must keep the passing lane into Weah open, otherwise they will find their possession play stemmed in the centre of the pitch. 

How the USMNT handle Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham was arguably the England’s best player as they put six goals past Iran in the Three Lions’ opening World Cup win over Iran. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was given the freedom to stride forward from the centre of the pitch and offer a threat in the opposition box – see how he scored England’s first goal from a header.

The USA must devise a strategy to handle Bellingham. They can’t allow the 19-year-old to find space in between the lines, otherwise the centre back pairing of Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman could find themselves outnumbered as they face a number of different threats driving at them from all angles.

Will Weston McKennie start in central midfield?

Weston McKennie is a key part of the most established area of the USMNT – the midfield. However, the Juventus man appeared to pick up an injury in the first half of the 1-1 draw against Wales which restricted him for the rest of the match. Berhalter insists McKennie is fit enough to feature against England, but should he?

McKennie is a useful presence at set pieces, but Brenden Aaronson’s pressing ability could be valuable against an England team expected to dominate the ball. Adams and Musah are almost certain to start in midfield, but there are questions over who will operate as the third player in the central unit.

Is Harry Kane fully fit after minor injury?

He might not have got his name on the score sheet despite England scoring six times against Iran, but Harry Kane was exceptionally influential in his team’s World Cup opener. The Tottenham Hotspur striker contributed two assists and was generally charged with playing his teammates in behind from deep.

However, Kane was withdrawn late on with an injury. Southgate insists the 29-year-old is ready to play again, but the injury was serious enough for him to undergo a scan earlier this week. Will Kane’s movement be impact by the knock or will he be just as sharp and mobile as he was against Iran on Monday?

Can the USMNT do better from set pieces?

Set pieces were expected to be key to the USMNT’s chances at the 2022 Worlds Cup, but they never threatened from corner kicks or freekicks against Wales. In fact, Pulisic found a teammate only once from six set piece deliveries on Monday as he consistently hit the first man. That can’t happen against England.

The USA are unlikely to control the ball for much of Friday’s match, so they must be opportunistic in the moments they are able to make the final third. This might require Berhalter to take Pulisic off taking set pieces. Players like McKennie and Zimmerman need better deliveries to attack in the penalty box.

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