DOHA, Qatar — The United States and England got their World Cup campaigns underway Monday, and did so in decidedly different circumstances. The Three Lions cruised to a comfortable 6-2 win over Iran, in a scoreline that arguably flattered the Iranians, while the Americans conceded a crushing 82nd-minute equalizer in settling for a 1-1 draw vs. Wales.
So, as the pair prepare for Friday’s meeting at Al Bayt Stadium, they do so with strongly contrasting emotions. England’s first game success has the country’s fans signing “It’s Coming Home” already, while the US’s disappointing draw has the American Outlaws fearing a group stage exit.
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But what have the teams taken away from these games, what are the moods in camp and what can we expect from each side Friday? ESPN asked Jeff Carlisle, James Olley, Sam Borden, Tom Hamilton and Kyle Bonagura to weigh in on the US and England ahead of their hotly anticipated matchup.
How do the US keep spirits high ahead of England?
The US oftentimes are at their best when they’re the underdog, and that will be certainly be the case against England. There is little in the way of expectations, so the US have plenty to gain and little to lose. This isn’t a group that will be intimidated by England’s talent, given that the bulk of their starting XI play in one of the top five European leagues. If they can manage to get a result in this game, that will set them up well for the group stage finale against Iran. — Carlisle
It shouldn’t be hard. This is the World Cup and that, on its own, should be enough motivation to get anyone fired up, for any game. That’s especially true for the young United States team with just a single player — DeAndre Yedlin — with World Cup experience prior to this tournament. Except for Christian Pulisic, who played in a Champions League final, this will be without question the most important game of any of their soccer careers (and even with Pulisic, this one might be more meaningful on a personal level). — Bonagura
I think this is one of those situations where the USMNT’s youth is actually an asset. Because they have almost no international pedigree in terms of matches at this level, I’m not sure they’re as wrapped up in the emotional swings when it comes to expectations. Should the US have taken all three points against Wales? For sure. But I’m not certain that giving up an endgame equalizer is going to leave the scars it might on a team that’s more aware of the outside pressure. These players are largely ecstatic to be here and focused on pulling off some big surprises — nothing that happened Monday changes any of that. — Borden
If England could beat Iran with such ease, what else are they capable of?
England clearly possess a number of high-quality attacking players, but there remains uncertainty over whether manager Gareth Southgate can mold them into a fearsome team, given they reached the Euro 2020 final with a cautious, pragmatic style. Monday’s win over Iran was a significant step in the right direction for those wanting to see England play with greater freedom: There were five different scorers and Iran were overwhelmed at times by the Three Lions’ movement in the final third. Whether they can play with such invention as the pressure grows is the big unknown. — Olley
Expectation around England is always sky-high at any tournament, even more so now after their start to this tournament. But Southgate and his players will know this is a seven-step process, and they’ve only overcome the first hurdle. It’s that dire old football maxim of taking each game at a time. It’s only one win, and campaigns can unravel quickly so they won’t get carried away. Topping the group is key, so that’s the first goal. — Hamilton
How prepared are the US to suffer against possession-hungry England?
This will be the first competitive game under Berhalter in which the team will be decisively less talented. It’s an interesting dynamic because it could force some major tactical wrinkles to begin the game. With that said, Berhalter’s experimentation the past two years have been mostly subtle, so a more substantial change against England would require him to unveil something that would have only been worked on in training situations — of which he hasn’t had many opportunities. I expect the US to stick with the usual approach: 4-3-3, play out of the back and hope that their recent track record of poor chance creation changes. — Bonagura
I don’t think there’s any question that they’ll suffer some against England, but I’d also look for them be comfortable pushing forward themselves. This isn’t going to be a 90-minute assault by England, in my opinion — the US have enough weapons to make the counterattack a legitimate concern for the English. The question that will decide the match is just how much the US are able to relieve the pressure on them by countering. If they can’t, it could be a very, very long night. — Borden
