The pressure is on the United States after a poor start to the qualifying campaign
2 min read
The United States men’s national team will go for their first win of World Cup qualifying when they visit Honduras on Wednesday night. The Americans’ third qualifying match in a week is streaming live on Paramount+. The USMNT failed to meet expectations through two games, drawing at El Salvador last week before suffering a poor draw at home on Sunday against Canada. Pressure is on this team big time, along with off-the-field distractions just hours ahead of kickoff.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Storylines
Honduras: Los Catrachos are like the U.S. in the sense that they just can’t seem to consistently create in attack. One goal in their last four matches in all competitions, they had just one shot on goal against El Salvador on Sunday. They have to figure out a way to hold on to the ball and improve on their average of 32 percent possession, because they simple don’t have the ball long enough to build up. While they can threaten on the counter and have looked dangerous at times, there is sharpness in the final third that has gone missing. If they find it here, they’ll be in great shape, but even a point would be solid.
USMNT: So with Weston McKennie suspended and back in Italy for violating COVID protocols, what does this team look like from here? Gregg Berhalter went with Tyler Adams, Kellyn Acosta and Sebastian Lletget against Canada, and I suspect we will see something similar Wednesday. With a youthful team looking so inexperienced, don’t be shocked to see somebody like Cristian Roldan slide into the midfield. But that still doesn’t solve the problem of just simply not creating enough chances, which is further hindered by Gio Reyna’s hamstring injury. A win here will get things back on track, while anything but three points will make an already upset fan base even more uncertain of what’s to come.
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Sept. 8 | Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano — San Pedro Sula, Honduras
- TV channel and Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Honduras +450; Draw +210; USA -143 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Prediction
The Americans once again drop points, adding to the pressure on Berhalter ahead of a critical October. Pick: Honduras 1, USA 1
