Prediction: Saudi Arabia vs USA

Verdict: USA win

Best odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Saudi Arabia and the United States will put their perfect starts to the CONCACAF Gold Cup on the line when they face off on Friday morning at Q2 Stadium.

The Arabian Falcons began their Group D campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Haiti, while the Stars and Stripes made a dominant statement by thrashing Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in their opener.

Saudi Arabia

After a turbulent managerial transition, both Saudi Arabia and the USA find themselves on the rebound heading into their crucial Group D clash at the Gold Cup on Friday.

Following Herve Renard’s departure and Roberto Mancini’s appointment in September 2023, Saudi Arabia endured a dismal stretch under the Italian. Mancini failed to win any of his first four games in charge—recording three losses and a draw—and although the team responded with an eight-match unbeaten streak, a last-16 exit at the Asian Cup and just one win in their first four matches of third-round World Cup qualifying prompted his dismissal.

Renard was swiftly reinstated and, after a shaky restart with only one win from his first four matches back, he has since overseen a marked improvement. The Arabian Falcons lost just once in their five outings leading into the Gold Cup—although that defeat, a 2-1 setback to Australia, confirmed a third-place finish in their qualifying group and a spot in the fourth round. Still, they responded positively by edging Haiti 1-0 in their Gold Cup opener, and Renard will now target another win against their toughest group rivals.

Team News

Saudi Arabia will be forced to cope without captain Hassan Kadesh for several weeks after the centre-back suffered a hamstring injury during their opening Gold Cup match.

In his absence, Abdullah Madu is expected to step into the heart of defence alongside Abdulelah Al-Amri, while full-back roles should once again be filled by Saud Abdulhamid on the right and Nawaf Boushal on the left.

Further forward, Saleh Al-Shehri is likely to retain his place as the central striker, supported by Ziyad Aljohani operating just behind him in an advanced midfield role.

USA

The USA, meanwhile, have also faced inconsistency under Mauricio Pochettino, who took the reins in September 2024.

The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss has overseen six wins and six defeats in his first 12 matches, including a four-game losing streak in the lead-up to this tournament. Losses to Panama (1-0), Canada (2-1), Turkey (2-1), and Switzerland (4-0) raised alarm bells about the team’s trajectory.

However, the Stars and Stripes bounced back emphatically in their Gold Cup opener, sweeping aside Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 to take pole position in Group D on goal difference.

Now looking to solidify top spot and virtually ensure progression to the knockout phase, Pochettino’s side will be eyeing another commanding display when they face a resurgent Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Team News

After cruising to a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on matchday one, Mauricio Pochettino may opt to stick with a similar starting XI.

Diego Luna, Malik Tillman and Jack McGlynn all impressed in attacking midfield roles and are in line to continue, while Patrick Agyemang should lead the line again following his goal in that encounter.

Left-back Maximilian Arfsten was another standout, providing two assists in the opening fixture, and the full-back will be aiming for a repeat performance on Friday.

Conclusion

Both sides will take confidence from their winning starts to the tournament, but given the USA’s dominant display on matchday one, Pochettino’s men are expected to edge this contest and secure another valuable three points.

Verdict: USA win

Best odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: Olympusbet