International

England vs. United States | 2018 International Friendly Match Preview

US Soccer DL

The US men’s national team close out their Fall Kickoff Series with a pair of games against perennial European powerhouses, beginning with a showdown against England at Wembley Stadium on Thursday.


The match will be a testimonial for D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer with 53 goals in 119 appearances. It will be Rooney’s first time in an England shirt since picking up an assist in a 3-0 win over Scotland at Wembley on Nov. 11, 2016.


Rooney, who was named to the 2018 MLS Best XI, had 12 goals and seven assists in 20 appearances, helping guide the Black-and-Red to the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.


“It’s been what I would think it would be like with a guy like Wayne Rooney,” Dave Sarachan said of Rooney. “He didn’t come over for vacation. He came over to win. He was in good form, stayed healthy and had a terrific impact on his team, but also on our league and a great representative of a player that could have mailed it in and didn’t.”


It is also likely one of Sarachan’s final matches as interim USMNT manager with rumors rampant that Gregg Berhalter of Columbus Crew SC is set to be named the coach soon.


“I’m very excited to finish off the Kickoff Series with very important games, high profile games with England and Italy,” Sarachan said. “It will be a great challenge for our young group, but a great way to finish off this calendar year.”



England Outlook


The Three Lions are coming off an emotional 3-2 win over Spain last month in Seville in UEFA Nations League A, avenging a 2-1 loss at Wembley a month earlier. Raheem Sterling struck for a first-half brace and Marcus Rashford scored in the 30th minute to give England a 3-0 lead at the break.


England returns to Nations League A play Sunday with a showdown against Croatia at Wembley, a rematch of a World Cup semifinal won by Croatia in extra time.


Gareth Southgate called in a strong squad for the friendly, led by Harry Kane, Sterling, Dele Ali, Rashford and, of course, Rooney, who said his testimonial has been in the works for the better part of a year.


“We both felt it was the right time to do it [now], my season in the States is over, and it’s against the USA and it’s a friendly match before the lads play against Croatia on Sunday," Rooney said of Southgate. "We all felt it was the right time and the right game.”


United States Outlook


Sarachan initially called in a roster of 28 players with the average age of 23 years, 241 days, but Atlanta United midfielder Darlington Nagbe and Columbus Crew SC defender Zack Steffen were forced to withdraw due to injury.


Replacing Steffen on a squad reduced to 27 players ahead of Thursday’s match is Hertha Berlin goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann. The son of former USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Jonathan competed for the US at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup and has earned his first call-up for the senior national team.


After missing matches against Colombia and Peru last month, midfielders Tyler Adams of the New York Red Bulls and Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic return for the year-end friendlies. It is Pulisic’s first USMNT camp since playing in a 3-0 win over Bolivia in May.


“We’re excited to be here, great test for our young group,” Sarachan said. “Obviously we’re facing a team in England I feel is in good form and has a lot of quality.”


History


This will be the 11th meeting against England, which owns a 7-2-1 all-time record. The most recent showdown was at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with Clint Dempsey leveling after Steven Gerrard put England up early.


The last USMNT win came 43 years after a stunning upset in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil when Thomas Dooley and Alexi Lalas scored in a 2-0 U.S. Cup ’93 victory in Foxborough, Mass.


Players to Watch


England — Wayne Rooney: All eyes will be on Rooney in his last-ever appearance for the Three Lions. Will Kane give him the captain’s armband? Will he score his 54th career international goal? How long will he play?


United States — Christian Pulisic: Pulisic missed the USMNT’s last six games due to injuries, a summer break and club demands and this will be the last time this calendar year the 20-year-old will get to play for the U.S. It will be exciting to see him join fellow young standouts Adams, Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie.


England Roster

Pos.
Player
Club
Caps/Goals
GK
Marcus Bettinelli
Fulham
0/0
GK
Jake Butland
Stoke City
9/0
GK
Alex McCarthy
Southampton
0/0
GK
Jordan Pickford
Everton
13/0
D
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool
4/0
D
Ben Chilwell
Leicester City
3/0
D
Lewis Dunk
Brighton
0/0
D
Joe Gomez
Liverpool
5/0
D
Michael Keane
Everton
4/0
D
Luke Shaw
Manchester United
8/0
D
John Stones
Manchester City
36/2
D
Kieran Trippier
Tottenham Hotspur
16/1
D
Kyle Walker
Manchester City
43/0
M
Ross Barkley
Chelsea
24/2
M
Dele Ali
Tottenham Hotspur
31/3
M
Fabian Delph
Manchester City
16/0
M
Eric Dier
Tottenham Hotspur
36/3
M
Jordan Henderson
Liverpool
47/0
M
Jesse Lingard
Manchester United
20/2
M
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Chelsea
9/0
M
Harry Winks
Tottenham Hotspur
2/0
F
Harry Kane
Tottenham Hotspur
34/19
F
Marcus Rashford
Manchester United
29/6
F
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/wayne-rooney">Wayne Rooney</a>
D.C. United
119/53
F
Jadon Sancho
Borussia Dortmund
1/0
F
Raheem Sterling
Manchester City
46/4
F
Danny Welbeck
Arsenal
42/16
F
Callum Wilson
Bournemouth
0/0

United States Roster

Pos.
Player
Club
Caps/Goals
GK
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/brad-guzan">Brad Guzan</a>
Atlanta United
59/0
GK
Ethan Horvath
Club Brugge
2/0
GK
Jonathan Klinsmann
Hertha Berlin
0/0
D
John Brooks
VfL Wolfsburg
35/3
D
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/reggie-cannon">Reggie Cannon</a>
FC Dallas
1/0
D
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Swansea City
6/0
D
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/aaron-long">Aaron Long</a>
New York Red Bulls
1/0
D
Matt Miazga&nbsp;
Nantes
10/1
D
Shaq Moore
Reus
3/0
D
Antonee Robinson
Wigan Athletic
6/0
D
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/jorge-villafana">Jorge Villafana</a>
Portland Timbers
19/0
D
DeAndre Yedlin
Newcastle United
56/0
D
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/walker-zimmerman">Walker Zimmerman</a>
LAFC
3/1
M
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/kellyn-acosta">Kellyn Acosta</a>
Colorado Rapids&nbsp;
21/2
M
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/tyler-adams">Tyler Adams</a>
New York Red Bulls
7/1
M
Luca de la Torre
Fulham
1/0
M
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/marky-delgado">Marky Delgado</a>
Toronto FC
5/0
M
Romain Gall
Malmo FF
0/0
M
Julian Green
Greuther Furth
14/4
M
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/sebastian-lletget">Sebastian Lletget</a>
LA Galaxy
3/1
M
Weston McKennie
Schalke
6/1
M
Christian Pulisic
Borussia Dortmund
21/9
M
Kenny Saief
Anderlecht
3/0
M
<a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/wil-trapp">Wil Trapp</a>
Columbus Crew SC
9/0
M
Tim Weah
Paris Saint-Germain
7/1
F
Josh Sargent
Werder Bremen
5/2
F
Bobby Wood&nbsp;
Hannover 96
43/13