Preview: USA vs. England

The US’ game against its former colonizers has been touted as one of the more important games of the group stages. For the Americans, nothing would be sweeter than beating a team that many believe has an inflated view of itself. Nevertheless, team USA is allowed to slip up in this game. It’s Slovenia and Algeria that the Yanks have to beat if they wish to progress to the knockout stages. On the other hand, the English have to live up to the hype about being a potential world champion. If the English don’t perform well, the pressure will mount, and there will be a serious depletion of confidence that could prove insurmountable.

In order for the Americans to win, they will have to deviate from their usual strategy. The US team likes to sit back and hit on the counter, relying on the speed of Donavan and Co. This could be a problematic game plan against the Three Lions. The English have shown that if given too much time to move the ball, they can cause a lot of problems with their flank play, and given Rooney’s newly acquired heading ability, the last thing the Americans want is crosses raining in. The way to beat the English is to try and take the ball away from them. England’s rhythm starts to suffer if they don’t have consistent possession. Additionally, the Americans need to take advantage of Barry’s absence. Barry usually sits back and allows Lampard to attack freely. His injury will probably force Capello to employ Gerrard in the middle with the Chelsea man. This pairing has not always been successful, since both players enjoy pushing forward regularly and tend to forget their defensive duties.

England needs to take advantage of its wing play to cause the US real problems. While Jonathan Spector and Carlos Bocanegra are sound defenders, they lack pace to keep up with Joe Cole, Wright-Phillips, and Aaron Lennon. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages the English have is the fact that Brian Ching will be watching the game on his television in Texas. England has physical centre-backs who will make it very difficult for Altidore to hold the ball up for his midfield support. Altidore is far more comfortable running at the defense from the wings, and Ching’s absence will mean that the US doesn’t have someone who plays in the box.

If the US staves off England’s initial attacks, there is a chance it could pull off an upset, as the English can get easily frustrated, which leads them to abandon their game plan. If the English score early, expect the Yanks to push forward more often, leaving them exposed at the back, which will enable Rooney to cause some serious damage. A one goal tie seems a very realistic score-line, but the game could also end with the English running away with it by three goals to none.