Looking at the Copa America schedule for the U.S. men’s national team, Uruguay The upcoming games may be the most anticipated matchups of the group stage, with Thursday’s game against Panama being the most important. When the U.S. qualified for the 2022 World Cup, they did not handle themselves well against Panama. Wales And they spend too much energy IranThe team lost energy in the round of 16. NetherlandsIf the USMNT can beat Panama and get an early lead, coach Gregg Berhalter could not only make early substitutions but also rotate his players against Uruguay, who have already secured a spot in the knockout stages. Early points are always important in group stage matches, and that is exactly what the USMNT will be looking to do.
Here’s the storyline, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- date: Thursday, June 26 | time: 6pm ET
- positionMercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
- tv set: Fox Live Stream: Fubo (Try it for free)
- Odds: USA -280; Draw +360; Panama +900
USMNT Copa America group stage schedule
story
America: After a strong performance against Bolivia, it will be important for them to build on that momentum against Panama. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams There is room for improvement in the game, but it is equally important to ensure they are able to play despite their struggles. Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun If they can score again, the USMNT will advance to the knockout stages.
Panama: Michael Murillo Murillo is a key passing outlet for Panama. If they can get the ball, Murillo will already be up front as a passing outlet, and he’s played in MLS so he knows the USMNT players. While all the attention will be on Adalberto Carrasquilla, being able to cut off his passing outlets will be just as important.
Featured Players
- Folarin Balogun: This will be Balogun’s longest camp with the team as he works to integrate into the USMNT attack. His growth was already evident when he scored his fourth goal for the USMNT against Bolivia, but expectations are high for his performance so he will continue to do better. Balogun looked a bit hesitant at times, but his finishing would certainly improve if he could take his shots sooner.
- Tyler Adams: If Adams plays, his performance will be noticed. He was rusty against Bolivia so it’s understandable he struggled to make an impact, but that won’t be the case against Panama. If Adams isn’t fit to play at least 60 minutes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him on the bench as tracking Carrasquilla throughout the game will be an uphill task and that could make or break the USMNT.
- Michael Murilo: The Marseille right-back was Panama’s lone goal scorer and is one the USMNT must keep an eye on. One of Panama’s main outlets on the pitch, Murillo touched the ball 63 times against Uruguay and had two shots on goal when he had the chance. He was heavily involved defensively and will be needed to keep up with both sides of the USMNT. This is a game the U.S. cannot afford to lose.
Pitch Management
With the pitch in Atlanta drawing criticism from the Argentina national team, coach Gregg Berhalter explained how the USMNT is preparing to play on an unfamiliar pitch.
“We don’t share the same opinion as Argentina because it’s very difficult to judge when you don’t have the same experience, but I would say we prepare our players, we check the shoes, we look at how the ball rolls, how the ball bounces,” Berhalter said. “These are the main things we instruct our players to do.”
It will be important for the USMNT to adjust as some parts of the field are faster and some slower in attack, which will change the dynamics of their attack, but we won’t know what impact it will have until the match actually begins.
prediction
Pulisic again led the U.S. team to victory with a goal and an assist, Matt Turner It will actually be tested on the Panama net. choose: America 2, Panama 1
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