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CONCACAF Gold Cup | Group Stage

Jun 20, 2025 at 2.15am UK

Al Saqr Stadium

Saudi Arabia
vs.
USA

Football

Preview: Saudi Arabia vs USA - prediction, team news, lineups

By Ellis Stevens

Published: June 17 2025 | 14:34

Last updated: June 17 2025 | 15:27

Sports Mole previews Friday's CONCACAF Gold Cup clash between Saudi Arabia and USA, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Saudi Arabia and USA, both aiming to continue their winning start to the Gold Cup, will clash on Friday morning at the Q2 Stadium.

Arabian Falcons defeated Haiti 1-0 in their opening Group D fixture, while the Stars and Stripes crushed Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in their first match.

Match preview

Following Herve Renard's exit and Roberto Mancini's appointment as Saudi Arabia manager in September 2023, Saudi Arabia experienced a miserable period under the Italian.

Mancini failed to win any of his first four matches in charge, with three defeats and one draw, and though they did improve with an eight-game unbeaten run, a round of 16 Asian Cup exit and just one win from their opening four third round World Cup qualifiers led to Mancini's departure.

Renard quickly returned to the managerial position, and after a brief struggle with one win from his first four, Saudi Arabia have enjoyed a strong run of results in the following outings.

The Arabian Falcons lost just one of their final five matches ahead of the Gold Cup, albeit that defeat was a 2-1 loss to Australia in the third round of World Cup qualifying, meaning Saudi Arabia finished third and will join the fourth qualifying stage.

They quickly bounced back from that crushing defeat with a 1-0 win in their opening Gold Cup fixture against Haiti, and Renard will be hoping for another three points against their strongest Group D rivals USA on Friday.

USA have endured similarly turbulent form since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino in September 2024, with the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager winning six and losing six of his 12 games in charge.

That includes a disappointing four-game losing streak in the lead up to the Gold Cup, where the Stars and Stripes lost 1-0 to Panama, 2-1 to Canada, 2-1 to Turkey and 4-0 to Switzerland.

Despite that poor form, USA were able to get off to a winning start as they dominated Trinidad and Tobago in a 5-0 win, leaving Pochettino's men at the top of Group D on goal difference.

Aiming to move outright to the top of the table and virtually confirm their top-two place in Group D, USA will aim to secure three points against Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Saudi Arabia CONCACAF Gold Cup form:

USA CONCACAF Gold Cup form:

Team News

Saudi Arabia will be without captain Hassan Kadesh for a number of weeks after the central defender sustained a hamstring injury in their opening Gold Cup fixture.

Abdullah Madu could partner Abdulelah Al-Amri in central defence in Kadesh's absence, while Saud Abdulhamid and Nawaf Boushal should continue in full-back positions.

At the other end of the pitch, Saleh Al-Shehri is expected to continue to lead the line, with Ziyad Aljohani playing just behind the striker in an advanced midfield role.

As for the USA, following their sensational 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on matchday one, Pochettino could decide to name a largely unchanged team.

Diego Luna, Malik Tillman and Jack McGlynn all impressed as part of the attacking midfield three, while Patrick Agyemang may remain as the striker after scoring in that clash.

Maximilian Arfsten was also a standout performer in that victory, registering two assists from left back, and the defender will aim to have a similar impact on Friday.

Saudi Arabia possible starting lineup:

Al-Aqidi; Abdulhamid, Al-Amri, Madu, Boushal; Al-Hassan, Ghamdi; Al-Hammami, Aljohani, Alsahafi; Al-Shehri

USA possible starting lineup:

Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Arfsten; Berhalter, Torre; McGlynn, Tillman, Luna; Agyemang

SM words green background

We say: Saudi Arabia 1-2 USA

Both teams will be boosted by their opening day victories, but given USA's particularly impressive performance, we believe Pochettino's side will win this one.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Ellis Stevens

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Saudi Arabia win with a probability of 43.38%. A win for USA has a probability of 29.1% and a draw has a probability of 27.5%.

The most likely scoreline for a Saudi Arabia win is 1-0 with a probability of 12.48%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome are 2-1 (8.6%) and 2-0 (8.3%). The likeliest USA win is 0-1 (9.73%), while for a drawn scoreline it is 1-1 (12.93%).