Northern Ireland will welcome the USA for an international friendly on Sunday afternoon. The hosts will be looking to regain their momentum after a failed charge for the European Championships, while the States will be looking for a strong run of form ahead of their CONCACAF Nations League semi-final in June.
International Friendly Preview
There will certainly still be disappointment within the Northern Ireland camp after they short on their aim to qualify for the European Championships in the summer. However, they should still take pride from their group performances, as they pushed Germany and the Netherlands to the brink in their respective group. Northern Ireland lost just three times during their group campaign, and were able to hold the Netherlands to a credibly 0-0 draw in one of their fixtures against the European elite. If they show that kind of form throughout their World Cup qualifiers, then they could be in with a good chance of reaching Qatar next year.
The United States have bounced back since being beaten in the Gold Cup final by Mexico in 2019, and have lost just one of their last nine games. That defeat came in the Nations League against Canada, but they quickly avenged that defeat with a 4-1 success a month later. There has certainly been a shift in gears most recently, as they have scored 19 goals in their last three games. Seven of those goals came in their most recent 7-0 success against Trinidad and Tobago. Jonathan Lewis, Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola all scored braces in that commanding win. There is no denying the young American talent that is coming through at present, and fans will be intrigued to see whether Christian Pulisic and Giovani Reyna play parts against Northern Ireland on Sunday afternoon.
Northern Ireland vs USA Head To Head
This will be a history-making occasion for both these nations, as it will be the first time that they have ever met.
Northern Ireland vs USA Prediction
This should be an engaging international fixture, as it could go either way. Northern Ireland have been in decent form recently, while the United States are a nation that is getting better with every time that they take to the field. However, the States have traditionally struggled against European opposition, which means that this could be a hugely morale-boosting victory if they get the win on the weekend. For that reason, we expect the away side to get the win.
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