England vs USA: Kane and co on course to dent American dream
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World Cup 2022: England vs USA odds, preview and tips
England are back in action on Friday just four days after starting their World Cup Group B campaign with a spectacular 6-2 victory over Iran on Monday afternoon.
Their opponents, the United States, were just eight minutes away from a crucial victory against Wales on the same day, but a Gareth Bale penalty sealed a 1-1 draw.
The Three Lions are already clear at the top of the group and the England winning odds are 4/7 to make it back-to-back successes, so let’s look at the main talking points and World Cup odds for Friday’s game.
England vs USA form
England reached the last four in Russia four years ago, were runners-up at last year’s European Championship and qualified comfortably for the World Cup as group winners with eight wins and two draws from 10 games, but Gareth Southgate headed to Qatar with question marks surrounding his future after his players failed to win any of their six Nations League games and were relegated to the second tier.
However, those memories were momentarily banished as teenage midfielder Jude Bellingham’s brilliant header set the Three Lions on the way to their best ever start to a World Cup finals.
Bukayo Saka scored twice either side of a superb finish from Raheem Sterling, while substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish added the gloss to an excellent attacking display marred only by a couple of sloppy moments resulting in Mehdi Taremi’s two second-half goals for the underdogs.
A great start, but we can be better 🙌
The boss looks back on today's victory in our opening @FIFAWorldCup game:
— England (@England) November 21, 2022
Southgate said: “I didn’t like the end of the game. To concede two goals the way we did isn’t the level that we need. So we’re going to have to be better than we were today in certain aspects of our game against the USA because they’re going to be coming for us full throttle, and we’re going to have to reset.”
England are 12/5 to win and concede once more in the World Cup betting, 7/5 to be ahead at half-time and full-time as they were against Iran or 3/1 to win both halves again.
The USA are four places above Iran in the world rankings in 16th and are a much better team even if they only qualified on goal difference from Costa Rica.
Helluva battle.#USMNT 🤝 @Cymru pic.twitter.com/Sk0RAjRKiM
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 21, 2022
USA coach Gregg Berhalter has the second youngest squad at the World Cup behind Ghana, but half of their 26-man squad play in Europe’s top-five leagues including Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic who provided the goal for Lille’s Tim Weah to give his side a deserved lead against Wales, who dominated the second half once Kieffer Moore had replaced the ineffectual Dan James.
The high press deployed by USA will be much tougher for the favourites to handle and another goal fest should not be expected, so a Three Lions win and under 3.5 goals at 6/5 is one of our England v USA betting tips.
England vs USA head to head
Although England are the favourites they have never beaten the USA at this tournament, losing 1-0 in 1950 in one of the all-time World Cup upsets and Rob Green’s blunder in 2010 ensured honours ended even in a 1-1 draw.
That result went some way towards England finishing behind the USA in the group and instead of facing Ghana in the round of 16 they met Germany who ran the Three Lions ragged.
The USA failed to qualify for Russia and in DeAndre Yedlin they have just one player with World Cup experience, but the CONCACAF Gold Cup holders have plenty of energy and can be backed at 5/1 to win, 29/10 to draw or 11/8 in the double chance market.
England vs USA team news
England captain Harry Kane trained ahead of the game after Gareth Southgate laid to rest fears of a foot injury for
the striker.
Kane suffered a knock after a clumsy challenge by Morteza Pouraliganji in England’s win against Iran. The Spurs striker, who has a history of ankle problems, did play on for 25 minutes but was seen limping after the game and went for a precautionary scan.
Southgate revealed Kane had trained with the rest of the squad behind closed doors on Wednesday and he also joined his team-mates on the pitch at England’s Al Wakrah camp when the cameras were present on Thursday.
Skipper 👊 pic.twitter.com/ok2nyTjLML
— England (@England) November 23, 2022
“He is good, he has worked a little bit more individually on Wednesday but he will back in with the team on Thursday and good for the game,” Southgate said.
“We just checked him out, just to see. I think sometimes when you are treating things it is important to know exactly what is there and that was all good. It is not so much the ankle. It is more the foot. It was a poor challenge really but I think it is one that fortunately we have got away with reasonably lightly.”
Harry Maguire also seems fine to face the US having come off against Iran feeling unwell. The defender was involved in England training on Wednesday.
Callum Wilson was not but is not believed to be a fitness doubt, while James Maddison was again absent as he recovers from a knee complaint that ruled him out against Iran.
Kyle Walker also trained and will be hoping to get his first minutes since undergoing groin surgery in October.
“I’m fit,” the Manchester City right-back said. “I’ve been training now for two weeks and I feel sharp.”
USA winger Pulisic was the most fouled player against Wales and at one point hobbled off the pitch, but returned to the fray and should be fit to face England.
Goalscorer odds
England scored six on Monday but Kane was surprisingly not among the goalscorers and his Golden Boot odds have drifted from 7/1 to 12/1 as a consequence.
The skipper is still 14/5 favourite to break the deadlock and 11/10 to get off the mark, while two-goal hero Saka is 5/1 and 21/10 in the two markets.
Bellingham netted his first England goal when he opened the scoring against Team Melli and is 12/1 to repeat the trick or 9/2 to find the net any time.
49 seconds ⏰🫡 pic.twitter.com/rFRliS3IHB
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) November 21, 2022
Rashford and Grealish both scored from off the bench and are 8/15 and 13/5 to do so again, while Callum Wilson, who selflessly squared the ball to the latter when he could have scored England’s sixth, is 13/10 to hit the back of the net.
Josh Sargent was surprisingly the focal point of the USA’s attack against Wales and is 15/2 to get the ball rolling or 3/1 to score, while Pulisic is 9/1 and 7/2 in the two markets.
Weah is available at 11/1 and 4/1, while Leeds midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who came on in the second half, is 12/1 and 9/2 in our England v USA betting tips.
Match Info
Where: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
When: 19:00, Friday 25th November
How to watch: ITV
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
