St. Kitts and Nevis vs USMNT: Americans Can Get off the Mark

• The USMNT were held to a 1-1 draw by Jamaica in their first match of the Gold Cup
• St Kitts and Nevis lost their opening encounter 3-0 to Trinidad and Tobago
• The USMNT should pick up their first victory of the competition in this contest

St Kitts and Nevis vs USMNT Odds

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St Kitts and Nevis vs USMNT Pick

This promises to be a mismatch and St Kitts and Nevis could be on the wrong end of a thumping.

• Back the USA to win by four or more goals.

USA Now Know Nothing Will Come Easy at the Gold Cup

Anyone who thought the USMNT would breeze to the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023 title has been forced to think again after their opening game of the tournament. In the end the USA drew 1-1 with Jamaica in Chicago, but the outcome could have been a lot worse.

Damion Lowe gave the Reggae Boyz the lead in the 13th minute. They later had a golden opportunity to double their advantage, but Matt Turner denied Leon Bailey from the penalty spot. The USMNT rallied late on and notched an equalizer from Brandon Vazquez in the 88th minute.

It is understandable that expectations were high in the USA following the national team’s triumph at the CONCACAF Nations League Finals earlier this month. But the roster for that tournament is very different to the one that is striving to win the Gold Cup on home soil.

Take a look at the starting XIs that took to the field in Chicago last time out. Jamaica’s included Premier League stars Bailey, Michail Antonio, Bobby Reid and Demarai Gray. Meanwhile most of the USA’s star players were absent, as they will be throughout the competition.

The fact that Gregg Berhalter is not here is another sign that the Gold Cup is not at the top of the USA’s list of priorities. BJ Callaghan remains in interim charge, with Berhalter deciding to swerve this tournament before retaking the reins in the fall.

The draw with Jamaica should serve as a warning to the USA, though. With the squad they have named, a place in the Gold Cup final - something often taken for granted in recent years - is by no means guaranteed.

Winning the trophy is not the be all and end all, of course. This is a chance to develop some young players and give opportunities to fringe members of the squad. But whether this group is good enough to go all the way remains to be seen.

St Kitts and Nevis Never Expected to Get Beyond Group Stage

St Kitts and Nevis will not have anything like the same ambitions as the USA. Simply being here is cause for celebration for this island nation of less than 50,000 people. This meeting with a CONCACAF powerhouse will be quite the occasion.

St Kitts and Nevis had never qualified for a Gold Cup before this one. For those looking closely enough, there had been signs of their improvement before this. They finished top of their group in the first round of World Cup 2022 qualification ahead of Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Guyana, and the Bahamas.

Meanwhile, in the 2022/23 CONCACAF Nations League, St Kitts and Nevis won promotion from League C after finishing above Aruba and Saint Martin. Finishing first in their Nations League group also saw St Kitts and Nevis enter the Gold Cup preliminaries. 

Austin Huggins’ side scraped past Curacao on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the first round, before another shoot-out victory booked their spot at the tournament at the expense of French Guiana.

The team ranked 140th in the world lost 3-0 to Trinidad and Tobago in their opening Gold Cup encounter. That made for a disappointing start, but St Kitts and Nevis were always going to be among the outsiders with the best online sportsbooks.

Just take a look at their squad, which contains many non-professionals. Numerous players ply their trade in the local league, while others are contracted to non-league clubs in England. Simply picking up a point in Group A would be a fantastic achievement.

USMNT Can Pick Up Three Points but Bigger Tests Lie Ahead

Despite their struggles for long periods of the game against Jamaica, this should be a pretty comfortable evening for the USMNT. Callaghan’s team will be determined to make up for their sluggish start by picking up their first three points of the tournament.

At World Cup 2022, the USA would often cede possession before hitting opposing teams with quick transitions when the ball changed hands. In the CONCACAF region, where they are one of the stronger sides, they tend to have much more possession.

St Kitts and Nevis will not compete for control of the ball here. They will instead sit deep and try to frustrate the hosts, who must remain patient in their search for openings. An early goal would settle the nerves at CityPark, but there is no need for panic if one is not forthcoming.

Ultimately the USMNT will surely have too much quality for St Kitts and Nevis, who would do well to keep the score down. Back the hosts to win by four goals or more in this one.

How to Watch St Kitts and Nevis vs USMNT

• Teams: St Kitts and Nevis vs USMNT
• Location: CityPark, Missouri, United States.
• Date and Time: Jun. 28, 2023, 9.30 p.m. ET 
• How to Watch: Fox Sports 1, fuboTV