The USA game against England ended in a draw on Monday. Despite England entering the game as overwhelming favorites, the two sides looked fairly equal in their major opportunities.
Of course, that comes in waves. At one point, England looked ripe to score, particularly during the period of play around the arrival of Jack Grealish.
However, the United States had their own spells of near-misses.
Christian Pulisic hit the crossbar in the first half. In fact, Gregg Berhalter called the final few minutes of the first 45 the best stint of the game.
England all but through in group B
In the end, the scoreboard is all that matters. The United States, England and Iran control their fates in Group B at the World Cup.
England is through with a win, draw or even a loss against Wales, so long as it is not by an exorbitant number of goals. Iran gets through with a win or a draw against the Americans.
For the United States, this is a knockout game. Win, and the Stars and Stripes return to the knockout stage at the World Cup. A draw or worse, and Gregg Berhalter’s side go home.
However, some say the United States deserved more than the point earned against England. The statistics released by FIFA’s match report help tell an interesting story between England and the USA.
Statistics to explain USA vs England
England had significantly more possession throughout the match. This will obviously mean that the Three Lions had more passes, completed line breaks, and receptions in the final third.
However, England could not create as many goal-scoring chances as the USMNT.
Berhalter’s men actually had more shots than their opponents. Along with the sheer number of total shots, the U.S. also racked up more ball progressions as well.
This shows that while England were in possession, they could not break down the U.S. defense very well.
Meanwhile, the USMNT actually created solid opportunities despite having the ball much less.
Transition was crucial for the USMNT. The Stars and Stripes had a higher percentage of attacking transition and counter attacks. England preferred to hold on to the ball and make slower passes, while the U.S. utilized a more fast break style.
To help create offensive chances going forward the U.S. also used defensive actions. The USMNT forced 61 turnovers, regained possession 47 times, had 6 interceptions, and pressured the potent England players 350 times. All of these statistics were more than the fifth-ranked Three Lions.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
