Saudi Arabia vs USA: Gold Cup Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

At Friday morning's match at the Q2 Stadium, the United States and Saudi Arabia will square off, with both teams seeking to extend their winning streaks in the Gold Cup.

The Stars and Stripes thrashed Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in their first encounter, while the Arabian Falcons beat Haiti 1-0 in their Group D opener.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

After Herve Renard left and Roberto Mancini was named manager of Saudi Arabia in September 2023, the kingdom went through a terrible spell under Mancini's watch. 

A round-of-16 loss from the Asian Cup and only one victory from their first four third-round World Cup qualifiers led to Mancini's dismissal after he failed to win any of his first four matches in charge (three defeats and one draw). However, they did improve, culminating in an eight-game undefeated streak.

Renard was back in charge of the Saudi national team in no time. After a rough start with only one victory in four games, the team has been on a roll recently. 

With just one loss in their last five matches leading up to the Gold Cup, the Arabian Falcons placed third in World Cup qualification and will go to the fourth round. That loss, however, was a 2-1 setback to Australia in the third round. 

Quickly recovering from that devastating loss, they won their first Gold Cup match against Haiti by a score of 1-0. On Friday, they'll face their fiercest Group D foes, the United States, and Renard will be hoping for a repeat performance.

Since Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager of the United States national soccer team in September 2024, the team's play has been just as erratic. Pochettino has a record of 6 wins and 6 losses in 12 games with Tottenham and Chelsea.

Additionally, the Stars and Stripes suffered a disheartening four-game losing streak before the Gold Cup, losing 1-0 to Panama, 2-1 to Canada, 2-1 to Turkey, and 4-0 to Switzerland. 

Notwithstanding their recent struggles, Pochettino's squad got off to a winning start in Group D with a 5-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago. 

On Friday, the United States will play Saudi Arabia for three points to solidify their position as the top two teams in Group D and move to the top of the standings. 

Saudi Arabia vs USA Team News

Captain Hassan Kadesh will miss a good chunk of time after tearing his hamstring in the first game of the Gold Cup for Saudi Arabia. 

While Kadesh is out with an injury, Abdullah Madu might start alongside Abdulelah Al-Amri in the middle of the defense, with Saud Abdulhamid and Nawaf Boushal keeping their starting spots at fullback. 

Contrarily, Ziyad Aljohani will play an advanced midfield role directly behind Saleh Al-Shehri, who is likely to maintain his position as the team's leader. 

Pochettino may choose to start nearly the identical US squad for the second matchday after their spectacular 5-0 success over Trinidad and Tobago. 

After scoring in that match, Patrick Agyemang may continue in the starting lineup, while offensive midfielders Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, and Jack McGlynn also had strong performances. 

Maximilian Arfsten, who played left back and contributed two assists in that win, will want to replicate his performance on Friday.

Our Predictions

USA to win @ 1.57 on Sy247.ng

We think Pochettino's USA squad will prevail due to their outstanding performance on the first day, but both sides will be riding high after their victories.

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