Lying three points behind this weekend’s opponents in the World Cup qualifying standings, the USA take on Costa Rica looking to earn just a third win of the campaign. With only the top three teams in the group qualifying for next year’s finals, Bruce Arena is under pressure to deliver three points for the US national team.
World Cup 2018 Qualifying – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey – Saturday 2nd September – 00:55 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Ladbrokes |
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USA
Costa RicaMatch Preview
The USA take on rivals Costa Rica in a crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifier on Saturday morning, with the visitors sitting in a strong position in the standings, three points clear of their opponents. Having recently suffered defeat to the US in the Gold cup, Costa Rica will be looking for revenge in New York. With the duo having a very similar record against each other over the years, it could well be one of the most exciting matches throughout qualifying.
USA Team News & Form
Bruce Arena and the USA have struggled for since he took over from Jurgen Klinsmann as Head Coach, with the former LA Galaxy boss looking to his experienced squad members to step up to the plate this weekend. Having recovered well from two opening qualifying defeats at the back end of last year, the US earned a valuable point against group leaders Mexico last time out. Captain Michael Bradley is likely to be joined by the likes of Clint Dempsey, Fabian Johnson and Geoff Cameron in the starting line-up, while young Borussia Dortmund starlet Christian Pulisic will be looking to add to his ever-growing reputation on the world stage. Despite being the leading scorers in the group, it has been their defensive issues that have seen the US struggle over recent months.
Costa Rica Team News & Form
Just one defeat throughout qualifying means that Costa Rica are among the favourites to make it through to the World Cup finals in Russia, with only Mexico ahead of them in the standings. A narrow win over Trinidad & Tobago last time around will have given Oscar Ramirez’s men confidence for upcoming matches, despite the absence of Arsenal man Joel Campbell, who is still nursing a knee injury. With Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas in between the sticks and the likes of Bryan Luiz and Bryan Oviedo also in the starting line-up, Costa Rica are certain to pose a threat to the home side.
Head to Head
The two teams have met on 13 occasions in the past, with Costa Rica just about having the better record with six victories, compared to five for the USA. With two draws also during this time, there really is little to choose between the duo, making predicting the outcome of Saturday’s match difficult.
Betting Odds and Predictions
The USA are the favourites for three points with the majority of bookmakers, with Ladbrokes offering Arena’s men odds of 7/10 for the win. Meanwhile, those who looking to back a surprise away win can find odds of 19/4 on the same platform. Elsewhere, given the two teams records to date, betting on both teams scoring in New York could well be lucrative, with Ladbrokes providing customers with odds of 11/10 on this market.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for this match is to bet on their being over 2.5 goals between the USA and Costa Rica, with best odds of 27/20 available at Ladbrokes.