The USMNT face their toughest test of their Group B campaign as they go head-to-head with England at the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday.
On Friday England face the USA in Al Khor with the game representing the biggest test for Gregg Berhalter’s men in Group B.
England have yet to beat the United States in World Cup meetings, suffering an unthinkable loss in 1950 that was regarded at the time as a national humiliation and playing out a 1-1 draw in South Africa in 2010.
Gregg Berhalter’s American squad who, with an average age of 25, are the second youngest of the 32 nations assembled in Qatar after Ghana and in the first half of the game against Wales, the USMNT showed flashes of what they are capable of.
Timothy Weah scored a goal his illustrious father George would have been proud of to give the U.S. the lead over Wales, while fellow 22-year-old Sergino Dest and 19-year-old Yunus Musah also impressed on their World Cup bows.
Having not qualified in 2018, Berhalter, like Southgate, has put his faith in youth and is being rewarded, even if there was a sense of disappointment that a team which began with 11 World Cup debutants against Wales could not see out the victory.
Some of his players looked fatigued by the end but asked if he needed to lift his players, Berhalter said: “We get to play one of the teams we think are one of the favourites for the tournament and I don’t think there’s going to be many tired players come Friday.”
An athletic United States will be a far harder nut to crack though with several of their players seasoned Premier League performers such as Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic and Leeds United youngster Brenden Aaronson.
Possible USA XI (vs England)
Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Ream, A. Robinson; McKennie, Adams, Musah; Weah, Sargent, Pulisic