It’s officially time for Copa America preparation to hit the pitch as Gregg Berhalter will lead the United States men’s national team against a Colombia side unbeaten in their last 20 matches in all competitions. Still seeking a signature win, the USMNT have scheduled strong friendlies during this international break facing Colombia and Brazil. Concacaf teams have struggled so far during the break, and Berhalter will want to make sure that his team doesn’t suffer the same fate.
There are already questions to answer around how the USMNT will lineup without Sergino Dest as they could start Joe Scally at right back, move into a back three with Tim Weah at right wing back or even deploy Chris Richards at right back in a move that would free up Antonee Robinson. While we don’t know which method Berhalter will use, how it goes will serve as a preview into what to expect from the USMNT during Copa America.
A team with high expectations to get out of a group containing Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia if the USMNT are able to advance, they’ll likely face either Brazil or Colombia in the knockout stages so getting familiarity ahead of time is important.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, June 8 | Time: 5:30 p.m.
- Location: FedEx Field — Landover, Maryland
- TV: TNT | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: USMNT +160; Draw +205; Colombia +165
Storylines
USMNT: In the lead up to the match, the lone member of the squad absent from group training has been Josh Sargent who has been dealing with ankle issues since the Championship playoffs. “We’ve been training with Josh both in the gym and on the field and he’s not going to be available for Colombia.. We’ll have to see if he makes it for the Brazil game and we’ll have to make a decision on if he makes it onto the Copa America roster. He’s had a nagging foot injury and we’ve been testing him to see where he’s at,” Berhalter said.
Aside from that, with as clean of a bill of health as he can get, Berhalter has at least had a chance to gauge the fitness of his squad which is important considering that Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, and Yunus Musah all struggled for playing time near the end of the season. All four are critical members of the squad, but Berhalter also has to ensure that they aren’t pushed too far ahead of Copa America as more injuries could stunt the USMNT’s chances.
Colombia: Led by Luis Diaz in the attack, Colombia have risen to third in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying which includes knocking off Brazil. With a shutout victory over Spain as well, this is a team that could give the USMNT fits. The attack has been balanced as Diaz only has two goals in World Cup qualifying along with Rafel Santos Borre while James Rodriguez has two assists. Alongside the attack, Colombia’s team defense is what has made them a tough out lately only allowing three goals in their six qualifiers. A player who could get a chance in the match after an impressive season in the Premier Leauge is Jhon Duran. The former Chicago Fire man has been included in the Colombia squad and as striker is one of the unsettled positions in the squad, strong performances could push him up the pecking order.
Prediction
Neither of these teams will want to show the other too much in the match with the chance to face each other again in just a few weeks which will lead to a cagey draw that doesn’t answer many questions. Pick: USMNT 1, Colombia 1
