United States vs Honduras Nations League Prediction, Odds & Picks

How to Watch United States vs Honduras

Let’s first discuss how both sides got here.

Ahead of the semifinals of the Nations League, the USMNT were impressive in the previous round that had them at the top of Group A of the competition.

In spite of narrowly going through to the semis thanks to a higher goal differential than 2nd placed Canada, the United States finished with a noteworthy 3-0-1 (W-T-L) record and only three goals allowed.

Looking at Honduras, the Central Americans were undefeated in Group C with a 3-1-0 record. Most impressively, they only allowed one goal during their group stage run.

In theory, Honduras did in fact have a slightly better run through the previous round than the United States. It’s also worth noting that the USMNT lost 2-1 to Switzerland in a friendly last weekend.

So why aren’t Honduras the favorites?

Aside from recognizing that the United States had a tougher group in the Nations League, it’s also worth diving into the silver-linings of the defeat by the Swiss on Sunday.

Despite Recent Loss, USMNT Are In A Good Position

First things first, we have to point out that the United States were the away side in a friendly against the national team ranked at #13 in the world right now.

Secondly, the 2-1 defeat was actually a decent performance for the Americans.

Some key names like Sebastian Lletget and Giovani Reyna had good showings, the attack looked decent during the 1st half, and they also outshot the Swiss.

Also recognizing that a couple starters were unavailable due to their involvement in the UEFA Champions League final, the USMNT will unquestionably be stronger when they return this week.

Honduras Have Yet To Find Momentum In Last Few Months

But what about Honduras?

Man-for-man, they are unfortunately a few steps behind their Concacaf rivals.

With a roster that relies less on European club players and more on domestic league talent, it’s clear that Honduras isn’t at the same level as the United States at the moment.

Since returning to play last October, they’ve also looked underwhelming in their four friendlies.

With a 1-1 draw with Nicaragua, a 2-1 loss to Guatemala, a 1-1 draw with Belarus, and a 2-1 loss to Greece under their belts, there seems to be a slight regression of their form in 2019.

Christian Pulisic Will Be Expected To Play

There’s much more to the USMNT than just star attacker Christian Pulisic, but there’s no doubt that they are significantly better with him in the mix.

Following a cameo appearance in Chelsea’s Champions League title-winning game last weekend, the winger is expected to be involved in the upcoming semifinal for his country.

“Coming off of winning the Champions League, coming in the game, making an impact in that game, he’s ready to go. It would be very hard to keep him out of the lineup,” said USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter last Sunday.

Although he didn’t get any Champions League final minutes, Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen will also be expected to slot into the next USMNT XI.

With both Pulisic and Steffen back into the roster, it’s going to be exceedingly difficult for Honduras to clinch a win against the United States.