Published Mar 23, 5:48am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 23, 5:48am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
There is just under three months to go before the start of the World Cup, and host nation USA will be aiming to stretch their unbeaten run when they face a talented Belgium in Texas.
Mauricio Pochettino will get to have a final look at his roster ahead of naming his squad for the summer tournament during the March internationals, and this will be an intriguing test against the nation that finished the 2018 World Cup in third-place.
There is less than three months to go before the USA’s opening game of the World Cup against Paraguay, with Mauricio Pochettino having just four fixtures to test out tactics before the opener in California.
The USA have showed their offensive quality since the start of September, winning four of their last five, which includes a recent statement win against Uruguay. However, the nation will need to improve defensively if they are to go deep in the World Cup, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four.
An experienced roster for the March internationals is headlined by Christian Pulisic, who has scored 32 goals in 82 matches for the USA.
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Belgium’s Golden Generation failed to win the World Cup, and there is now a new look to the national setup under Rudi Garcia. Despite falling at the round of 16 in EURO 2024, Belgium still sit in the top ten in the FIFA World rankings.
Their form throughout qualification was excellent, winning five of their eight matches, which included wins by six-goal margins in three fixtures. Garcia has handed first international call-ups to Lucas Stassin, Mika Godts, and Nathan De Cat.
However, experienced goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a notable absence after pulling out due to injury. World-class players Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Youri Tielemans will all likely start in Texas.
| TOTAL | USA | Belgium | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Goals | 13 | 6 | 7 |
The USA’s energy in the middle of the park could cause issues for an aging Belgium on Saturday. Therefore, Pochettino’s side could cause a minor upset by landing a win over a European nation in Texas.
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USA
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