First of all, on the big one. I mean,
this is just there's doesn't get much bigger than this.
I think, for us, for everyone watching USA against England
at the World Cup,
Nick mendella, where will this game?
Be won? And lost this is huge, England, go into it
after hammering around 62
USA, good in the first half, not great in the second drawer
against Wales, really, kind of think the US needs to get point
in this game, to go into that last game against Iran, with,
with hope of getting
Into the last 16. So
where will this game really be won and lost for you
between the US and England,
can England's centre-backs,
not make the mistake that allows us, substandard us
attack to get a prime chance to score.
I, I watched these games and I couldn't help. Think I know we
talked about how Spain. There are 30 teams out there like
Spain that don't need a Centre forward to get the job done.
But all you need to do is watch that Belgium game.
The bats man got one.
Chance,
and he made it happen. Tim Leia as a senator, he made it
happen. Can
England of because I think anyone's going to get plenty of
chances to score. We know Matt Turner can make saves. We know
the US will put their bodies on the line.
Can the u.s. find a goal because they will get a chance.
Maybe they'll get a few chances. Can they finish? And
honestly if they can't, it's probably going to be the reason
that they miss out on going to The Knockout
rounds even when it comes to Iran. So will they get
a chance? Yes.
Can they take it?
I just don't know.
It's all about getting that quality Playas in the right
positions, right? I mean, pull a sick and why are we sold that
link up? They have that stock quality. They can deliver that
and it's going to be interesting to see who Greg,
Bachata that
rolls out there. Right? Andy. I mean, is it about stopping
England or is it about being brave, some for it and having
delay of
probably more comfortable on the ball?
And I gonna realize we might not have the ball as much in
this game. So whenever Have it. We need to keep it protect it
and like Nick said, build the old attack but I mean how
what's the best route of
attack for the u.s.? Is it defense or
actually going for it?
Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know about the best route because it is a team that
one lacks obviously a Centre forward. And to we don't
exactly know what the offense of patterns of play are that
they're going to focus on against England
because we've not seen them at a massive Talent deficiency at
in this tournament or under Greg Burkhalter really for that
matter. During a game that matters and so we don't have
anything to lean back on to say well this is what Greg is going
to do.
And so I'm kind of looking at a couple of spots. One for
the u.s. key is going to be the full-backs. How much is be
honest? How badly are they going to get cooked out wide?
The space? And behind was there against Wales?
Wales threatened a little bit with it.
But, you know, because I Osaka is not Daniel James. I do
respect to De Luca, right?
Right? Heme, Sterling James, not like there's so much
quality in those wide. Is Marcus Ratchford as well if
he's not playing through the center if he's kind of playing
off of one of the Wings cutting inside it's just
it is the problematic position especially
with depth for the u.s. they don't have great depth there
and they don't have width in the attack if they don't have
the full backs getting forward. And so that leaves it to
the other point is where are the chances? And not just
the chances, but where is
the sustained possession? Going to come from? I kind of feel
like Greg is going to do something a little interesting
and Midfield. Whether it's Luca Della Torre alongside Tyler
items just to be able Able to keep the ball and take
the pressure off the back line from time to time
or if it's Brendan Aronson, because we saw that in
the first game, coming off the bench. If you want, someone
that can drive forward and really bring non-stop
energy on both sides of the ball. I think that's going to
be important, obviously, in the Midfield battle,
Nick, who should stop the u.s. Because I put out my predicted
lineup on pro soccer talk and NBC sports.com. I had
Rainer coming in as a number 10. I had Musa dropping out and
McKenney, and Adams and Midfield. And I've had to
rewrite coming in up top, just to give them a bit of a focal
point to try and get out.
Hold the ball up and then feed off
Rainer, puller sick and wire
and then the only other issue I kind of had this is what Andy
mentioned, the full-backs their desk. Can he be trusted to
defend and how bad is his injury? Can him
McKenney, can those guys go a few days after a very taxing
game against Wales and then play against England, or do you
roll in someone like, Shaq more or Luca dilatory for
Destin? McKenney respectively, there's a lot of options there
for Greg, Bohol 2, Sir and how we can play this,
I would be very, they didn't do this. And that's one of
the reasons I wonder if they've been saving it at some point,
whether it's a 3-5-2 or a 5/32,
it kind of takes,
I would play for the draw,
I would play to hit them on the counter. I
I wouldn't play to draw nil-nil. I would play to get chances
and I fear dest in a flat back for him outside wide.
I don't fear Robin. But I think he's better when he's got
someone behind him. And did we not when they were still
playing for a halter? See, Tim ream
playing a left back in a flat back for.
I mean, wasn't quite a flat back for. I think you could see
three of the back, pick your mouth, most athletic guy.
Let them play. As Khmer, be a glorified sweeper in a sense
and then just let the bees Buzz. Let Robinson go forward.
Desk 04 and Aronson. Reina McKenney if he's healthy
and I feel like I I still need to, as long as he's healthy,
still see, Tim way out there because he was, he reminded us
of what we had been missing every game. He hasn't played
and tell me if I'm if I'm wrong here. Joe but speed in behind
and in between the center backs and forcing them to communicate
is going to give them some problems especially if Harry
McGuire's and the lineup.
Yeah, I think. So that's where Ryan got some joy and just
generally wearing them. They've looked really slacking thats
why they usually Play 3 at the back, but they've gone to
a flat back for at least against the Ran. So be Just to see what
they do this time.
Whether car Walker is fit enough to come in and I think so.
Some other Fitness notes from England. Harry Keynes had
a scan on his ankle. He's back in training. It looks like he's
going to be okay. So it looks like they've kind of overcome
that bit of an injury scare to their star Man and Captain
and Kieran. Trippy a and Raheem Sterling. A few knocks with
those two. Let's see if they're rested, but you know what? They
got some decent options in feel folding on Jack, relish to come
in for Sterling and then,
just Trent Alexander on or maybe to come in for trippy as
well. So, So yeah, England is stacked and I think it's all
about
how much respect the u.s. pace to them,
or they just say screw it. Let's just go out
and try and win this game
or at least you try and take it to England that high press that
works so well in the first 45 minutes against Wales. I think
they could do that to England a little bit, other thing to be
able to do it the whole game
but you're right, Andy they are susceptible to you go. Direct
and play those little balls in behind in between
the full-backs and centre-backs. That is the one real weakness,
I think.
For the single decide,
anything else that you guys want to highlight ahead of this
game? I mean,
you know it's a big big one. We've been talking about for
months and since the drawer and personally as someone who is
married to an American half my family, American most of my
friends and
good friends like yourself. So American
I feel very conflicted about what I want to see happen. It
growing up inning, obviously I want England to win but
this is a tough one for me. And I feel like a lot of people in
Premier League usmnt. Fandom a kind of feeling the same,
right?
Yeah, I'll tell you one, I would, this is in this is not
just because I want the u.s. to do, well,
I would rest Harry Kane.
I would start another guy at forward just to make sure that
ankle is fine and I think you can get by and still win by
a couple of goals without Harry Caine,
he has been playing every three or four days
for about three months and when I saw that the scan came back
I thought to yeah,
thanks Andy. Now, the Spurs now you know Antonio concert in
care about the World Cup.
I really think that you may see a England team that tries to
get by giving other guy's a chance. Because as you've told
us, Joe, this is what triggered this thought for me.
You've told us that they're not going to overlook whales even
if they win, just because of regional rivalry and how hard
that test could be, so might we see a much changed England,
maybe he did it in against Scotland in the
A game in the Euros group stage changed it all around it.
Didn't quite work out that time so maybe he won't do it this
time. I don't know.
It's kind of like why would you take
such a stack Squad and you think about it. It's for this
moment, right? A few days rest you kind of rotate around and
you're right. Nick. I would argue to apart from Harry Kane,
most of the rest of the team. There isn't a drop-off of you
rotate people in,
but I think there is quite a big drop off
with how important Harry Kane is tuned. In this all together,
we didn't score but against Iran is assists. And just
the way he moves, He's just opens up so much space. So
I honestly would keep him in the lineup,
but maybe that's just me being greedy. I'm on the team, get
the goals record off Wayne Rooney. But yeah, some
predictions are. Let's finish this segment with
score predictions. Andy, I'm going to come to you. What are
you expecting
to one England? To one. Okay. All right
Nick. I feel like I usually just take and he's prediction
and move a goal somewhere. 31 England,
31,
I'm going to go one New England. I just think it's
going to be a lot tighter and Tents and I think the US are
probably going to be more defensive and play for a draw
and hope for the best. But,
yeah, I, I just think England will just get it done with that
extra bit of quality that they have. But
the us as we saw against Wales, their work hard,
they've got just a little bit of depth problems. I think
that's the only thing that's really holding them back right
now. Few players are Rusty and key areas that haven't played
a lot
so yeah, it's going to be really interesting, of course.
Not just in our group chat, but on the pitch as well. So,