England’s World Cup campaign got off to a great start when they beat Iran 6-2. If they beat the United States on Friday, they’ll be in the next round.
Gareth Southgate chose an attacking lineup prediction the first time out and got all the results he could have hoped for. The boss will try to keep things the same going into this famous grudge match.
England predicted lineup vs United States (4-3-3)
GK: Jordan Pickford. Pickford is Southgate’s first choice and hopes to get the job done here so he can skip the last game.
RB: Kieran Trippier. Kyle Walker should be close to being ready to play again, but he might not be ready just yet. Expect the Manchester City player to get some time off the bench.
CB: Harry Maguire. Maguire was sick against Iran but was back in training on Tuesday and should be ready to play again.
CB: John Stones. Southgate’s two favorite defenders did their jobs well against Iran, so it’s likely that they’ll keep their spots.
LB: Luke Shaw – Shaw should stay in the team for now because he did a great job setting up Jude Bellingham’s first goal.
Declan Rice: Rice had a great game against Iran, and Southgate will want to keep that momentum going here.
Jude Bellingham: Speaking of amazing performances, Bellingham is already looking like he could be one of England’s most important players in this tournament. He is very important to this team’s offensive push.
CM: Phil Foden. Mason Mount did the dirty work well against Iran, but Foden might get a break in this game.
RW: Bukayo Saka. Saka scored twice against Iran and was rewarded with a nice early rest, which shows how important he is to the team.
ST: Harry Kane. Kane, unlike Callum Wilson, was back in training on Tuesday after getting a knock to his ankle, so expect him to start once again.
LW: Raheem Sterling. Marcus Rashford did everything he could to get into the starting lineup, but Sterling is one of Southgate’s leaders and will almost certainly keep his spot.
