Saudi Arabia vs. USMNT Prediction: Stiffer Test for Pochettino’s Crew

• The USMNT thrashed Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 in their opening game of the Gold Cup

• Saudi Arabia were also victorious on matchday one of the tournament in the USA

• Who will triumph in this crunch clash which will determine the Group D winners?

Saudi Arabia vs. USMNT Odds

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Saudi Arabia vs. USMNT - My Pick

Back the USMNT to beat Saudi Arabia. This will be a tougher test for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, but we like their chances of coming out on top.

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USMNT Dispel Some Negativity but Job Nowhere Near Done

The USMNT badly needed that. After four consecutive defeats heading into the CONCACAF Gold Cup, it was essential that Mauricio Pochettino’s men got off to a winning start once the tournament got under way. Trinidad & Tobago were seen as relatively kind opponents in their opening game, but after those four losses nothing could be taken for granted.

Thankfully, there was never any real worry. The USMNT thrashed their Caribbean opponents 5-0 on matchday one to take firm control of Group D. It was the sort of result that has helped to settle the nerves around the camp, although there is still a long way to go before optimism is fully restored.

The lesson from the friendly defeats by Turkey (1-2) and Switzerland (0-4) was that the USMNT’s reserve side is not ready to compete with middle-ranking European teams. Pochettino is without several key players this summer, including Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Folarin Balogun.

That gave others an opportunity to catch the manager’s eye, but no one was really able to do that against those two European opponents. It should be a different story at this tournament, where even the USMNT’s second string is superior to several other countries’ first picks.

Stiffer tests lie ahead, though, starting with Thursday’s contest against Saudi Arabia. The USMNT will also be challenged more in the knockout phase, especially if they were to meet Canada or Mexico. For the time being at least, they have stopped the rot by bringing that losing streak to an end.

"Today's game was also a difficult one, especially because of the negative things that happened in recent weeks," Pochettino said after the Trinidad & Tobago victory. "Some results that haven't gone well always generate a bit of noise. It's important for the players to have that confidence.”

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Saudi Arabia Are Not Just in the USA to Make Up the Numbers

The inclusion of Saudi Arabia in this summer’s Gold Cup doubtless put a few noses out of joint within CONCACAF, since their participation denies one other national team a chance to compete at the tournament. Sides like Cuba, Bermuda, Nicaragua and Guyana probably feel hard done by.

Their involvement is not without precedent, though. Other guest nations have taken part in the Club World Cup before, including Brazil in 1996, South Korea and Colombia in 2000, South Africa in 2005 and Qatar in 2021. Saudi Arabia are just the latest non-CONCACAF team to be included.

The Saudi state has poured billions of dollars into its domestic league over the last few years, with the country’s leading clubs attracting global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo to the Gulf. But we will have to wait and see whether there is any major improvement in the national team’s fortunes.

Saudi Arabia memorably beat Argentina at World Cup 2022, but they still failed to make it into the knockout phase. The idea is that additional tournament experience provided by events like the Gold Cup will help the Green Falcons to take the next step.

They have not brought their strongest squad to the tournament, with the likes of Hassan Al-Tambakti, Mohamed Kanno, Salem Al-Dawsari and Abdullah Al-Hamdan given some time off after the recent set of World Cup 2026 qualifiers. But Saudi Arabia were still able to emerge triumphant on matchday one, beating Haiti 1-0 in San Diego. 

That win has given Herve Renard’s side a platform to build on, but this game will be a much sterner examination of Saudi Arabia’s credentials.

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Saudis Stronger Side Than Trinidad but USA Can Get Job Done

Saudi Arabia will make the USMNT work harder for the three points than Trinidad & Tobago were able to do, so this should be more of an even contest. A 5-0 scoreline in either direction would be a massive surprise.

Overall, though, the USMNT look like the better bet to come out on top in Austin. Saudi Arabia have a questionable record outside their own region and, like their opponents, they do not have their best players at their disposal this summer. 

The difference is that the USMNT’s reserves have much more pedigree behind them. And the roster is not entirely devoid of regulars: Chris Richards, Matt Turner, Tim Ream, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright are among the call-ups for the Gold Cup.

Confidence within the USMNT camp was clearly damaged by those back-to-back defeats by Turkey and Switzerland on the eve of the Gold Cup, but much of it will have been restored courtesy of that 5-0 thumping of Trinidad & Tobago. 

The USMNT will also have home advantage behind them on Thursday, with virtually the entire crowd at the Q2 Stadium set to be behind Pochettino’s side. Those fans will probably go home happy.

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How to Watch Saudi Arabia vs. USMNT

• Teams: Saudi Arabia vs USMNT

• Location: Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas

• Date and Time: Thursday, June 19, 9:15 PM ET 

• How to Watch: FS1, UniMás,TUDN