The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup is just beginning, but Group D is already featuring a match-up in final intensity. Saudi Arabia and the United States face off this Thursday at Austin's Q2 Stadium to determine who stays in first and who will be forced to dig deeper in the final round.
Both of the sides defeated their opponents in their first match, but in a different way. The Americans humbled Trinidad and Tobago by 5-0. The Saudis played cautiously, repelled Haiti, and won 1-0 through a penalty kick. The fight is even now.
A good beginning, but still not enough
The USMNT came out as the favorite and did what it had to do: won handily. Tillman was the hero, scoring two times. Luna too was great, providing two assists. The substitutes came in and left their imprints. Aaronson and Haji Wright padded the score. The 5-0 score reflected toughness, but it cannot be misleading. The opposition was weak.
The shape has to be maintained against a more composed opponent. Saudi Arabia, without flair, showed it could fight. They were not great, but neither did they lose their shape. They shut down Haiti when they had to and set off with the win. And in a brief tournament, that is worth a great deal.
Now Pochettino has more options to pick from in the squad. Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, and Damian Downs have returned to training. They’re guaranteed to play but won’t take too much out of themselves. The USMNT must qualify at full strength and only then think about rotating against Haiti. Too many rotation changes this Thursday can be costly.
Saudi Arabia is expecting a closely contested game and opposition mistakes
The Saudi team is not so much an entertaining team to play but a frustrating one. They had fewer posses against Haiti but were more efficient. Saleh Al-Shehri put in the final nail from the penalty spot to finish the task. The Falcons are going to serve up the same recipe again. Tight midfield marking, tight lines, and speedy breakaways.
They will wait for the United States to make mistakes. And if that does happen, they may have to pay the price. There is every chance of the coach retaining the same nucleus. There are no stars, but there is a nucleus of players who know their job.