Saudi Arabia vs USA
With one win each, Saudi Arabia and the USA are set to meet in a fascinating CONCACAF Gold Cup match in Austin, Texas, on Friday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA ended a four-match losing run as they slapped Trinidad and Tobago in their opener, while Saudi edged past Haiti to get off to a winning start. The early CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 betting odds make the USA the joint favourites with Mexico to lift the title and, with the World Cup due to take place in North America next year, this competition is a chance for the big guns to take a psychological advantage.
Herve Renard’s Saudi Arabia are 58th in the FIFA World Rankings, a full 42 places behind their opponents, but they are an ambitious group of players with a growing reputation, and that makes this match an intriguing prospect. Pochettino’s former club, Spurs, have just appointed Thomas Frank as their new head coach, but the highly respected Argentine boss has plenty on his plate, and another win on Friday will surely mean he is on the right track.
Talking Points
Saudi are looking for a bigger scalp
Renard’s men got off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Haiti at the weekend as Saleh Al-Shehri won a penalty and fired home the spot-kick midway through the first half of their clash in San Diego. He was coolness personified as he slotted the penalty home, low in the bottom left corner, and Saudi held out comfortably to get off the mark.
Earlier on Sunday, Princess Reema bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi ambassador to the USA, expressed her nation’s pride at their participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup as guests of the confederation, and the team did her proud. The only worrying outcome from the game was that Al-Ittihad defender Hassan Kadesh limped off, and he is a major doubt to face the Stars and Stripes, with Abdullah Madu ready to step in.
23-year-old defensive midfielder Al-Ghamdi currently plays his football with Beerschot in the Belgian Pro League, on loan from Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad. He began his career at Al-Ettifaq, signing professionally in 2019 before moving to Al-Ittihad in 2023 with a five-year deal.
An elegant player with superb passing skills, Al-Ghamdi has good reading of the game, and he’s a player Renard will be looking for plenty of CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 highlights from on Friday and beyond.
USA have the taste for goals
The Stars and Stripes’ opener against Trinidad and Tobago could hardly have gone better as they ran riot with a 5-0 win, and it was a welcome result after a run of four losses, with two friendly defeats to Turkey and Switzerland in the run-up to this competition. Trinidad and Tobago are not the most imposing opponents, but the USA did their job, and they did it ruthlessly. That will help them regain their taste for success and goals.
Malik Tillman scored twice while Patrick Agyemang, Brenden Aaronson, and Haji Wright completed the rout. With no reported injuries, Pochettino might opt for an unchanged side to face the Saudis.
After making his debut for New York Cosmos back in 2015, the 27-year-old Wright has traveled across Europe, playing for Schalke in Germany, VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands, and Sonderjyske in Denmark. Last term, he starred for Coventry City in the EFL Championship, scoring 12 goals in 29 games to be the joint-eighth top scorer in the English second flight. He’s a quick player with a deadly finish, and, in a team with some bigger-name players, Wright will expose any space afforded to him.
History
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation was founded in 1956, and the Saudi team qualified for their first major tournament at the 1984 Asian Cup before winning the same competition four years later. They qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 1994 and most recently in Qatar in 2022
The Americans may be relative newcomers in the world of domestic football, but they have been members of FIFA since 1914 and were a founding member of CONCACAF in 1961. The Stars and Stripes have featured in 11 World Cups, finishing third in the first tournament back in 1930.
With four wins, one draw, and one defeat in 2025, the Saudis have had a good year so far, while the USA, with three wins and four losses, are looking for that consistent winning formula.
Betting Tip
Saudi are priced at SBOTOP odds of 4.75 to win this game, and the draw is at 3.60. They will give the Stars and Stripes a good test, but on home turf, I expect Pochettino’s team to make it two wins from two.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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