The United States men's national team faces a massive challenge on Friday against England.

The Americans come into the Group B clash two points adrift of the Three Lions and in need of a result to feel more comfortable about their prospects of advancing to the knockout round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Gregg Berhalter's side drew with Wales in its opener, but that result felt like two points dropped because of how dominant the USMNT was in the first 45 minutes.

England flew to the top of Group B with a 6-2 thumping of Iran. It is now in a great position to move on to the knockout round and could seal a spot in the round of 16 on Friday if it wins and the Wales-Iran game ends in a draw.

The USMNT does not need to win because it can gain three points from the Iran game at the end of the group and potentially finish on five points. A loss may not be the worst thing for its knockout-round hopes, either.

Regardless of the result, the Americans need to play much better than they did in the second half against Wales to even have a chance of competing with one of the best teams in the world.

Odds and Match Info

Odds

England (-170; bet $170 to win $100)

United States (+475; bet $100 to win $475)

Draw (+320)

Over 2.5 Goals (-120); Under 2.5 Goals (-105)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Match Info

Date: Friday, 25 November

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

USMNT Must Fix Mistakes from Opener

The USMNT needs to play close to mistake-free soccer to earn a result off England.

The Americans were undone by two key errors in their 1-1 draw with Wales on Monday in which the game was flipped by their opponents' adjustments in the second half.

Walker Zimmerman's sliding challenge into the back of Gareth Bale resulted in a penalty that was converted by the Los Angeles FC player.

Zimmerman and Tim Ream need to remain disciplined while defending in and around the penalty area, so that England does not have any penalties or free-kicks from close range that could threaten goalkeeper Matt Turner.

A perfect game at the back would be ideal for American prospects of advancing out of Group B, but as long as the center backs don't make any terrible errors, it will give the USMNT a fighting chance.

The other error came in attack, where a bit of complacency hung over the USMNT while playing with a 1-0 advantage.

Gregg Berhalter took too long to make the adjustments to Wales' second-half changes, and that allowed Rob Page's team to take full control of the contest.

The U.S. coach may be willing to start Brenden Aaronson, who came on a substitute on Monday, or Giovanni Reyna in order to give his team more pace and tenacity in the middle of the park against England's center-backs.

A more aggressive midfield approach could help the Americans force a few turnovers and put a few shots on target.

The goal for the USMNT should be trying to get one point. That would allow it to pile on goals against Iran in the final group-stage game.

A loss is not the worst result, either, but a positive performance with adjustments from the last match is the minimum expectation.

England's Well-Rounded Attack Will Put USMNT Under Pressure

England scored six goals in its opener against Iran without Harry Kane contributing to the final score.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker and reigning Golden Boot winner is dealing with an ankle injury, but he appears set to start on Friday.

Even if Kane's injury got worse before Friday, the Three Lions have a wealth of options in attack who can cause trouble for the American defense.

Bukayo Saka scored twice, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish all chipped in with one goal, as did Jude Bellingham, who is a dangerous threat from a deeper position in midfield.

The American back line has some experience dealing with England's attacking talent because Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson play for Fulham in the Premier League.

Containing the England attack with all of its players working as well as they did on Monday will be a difficult task for even the most experienced defenders.

The Three Lions' movement and combination in the final third will wreak havoc on any defense in Qatar, and that has to be the USMNT's biggest concern on Friday.

The Americans can't afford to concede too much ground on goal differential in case it is needed to beat Wales for second place.

The Welsh could beat Iran and then lose to England on the final group matchday. That would allow the Americans to finish on the same number of points with a win over Iran and potentially go through on a better goal differential.

Before the USMNT can deal with the knockout-round math, it must try to contain one of the best attacks in Qatar. Ream and Zimmerman need to negate Harry Kane's presence in the final third, and Tyler Adams will be vital in midfield when it comes to breaking up the English moves.

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