Prediction: Qatar vs United States

Prediction: Qatar win

Best Odds: 15/4

Bookmaker: bet365

The 2021 Gold Cup is in full flow right now with the nations being dwindled down to just four for the semi-finals. All of the remaining sides will feel as if they’re all in with a good chance of actually winning the trophy, but as we all know, international football is often as unpredictable as it gets. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at what should be an unpredictable battle between Qatar and United States.

Qatar

The 2022 World Cup hosts may have to deal with quite a bit of controversy next year, but in the present day, they’re a nation on the rise. They just seem to be thriving under the spotlight whenever they’re given the chance to do so and it really is quite fascinating to watch. They’re the reigning Asian Cup champions, they’re scoring goals for fun, and they have a “throw caution to the wind” style which is hard to take your eyes off of.

Team News

Ali is expected to lead the line as his fantastic campaign continues. Qatar manager Felix Sanchez has been tipped to name the same starting XI as he did against Honduras and El Salvador.

United States

The USMNT had the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup to deal with, and with the next edition of the event taking place in just under 16 months, you can bet they’ll want to keep nurturing and bringing through the kind of young talent that we’ve seen develop in recent times. Right now, they aren’t the most thrilling team to watch on a consistent basis, but they’ve got defensive steel that can’t be underestimated on the world stage.

Team News

Hoppe is expected to feature once again after scoring against Jamaica with Lletget potentially starring in what may well be a far more attacking approach than we’ve seen so far from the USA.

Factors to Consider

• Qatar beat El Salvador in the quarter-finals whereas United States beat Jamaica.
• Qatar have won three and drawn one of their Gold Cup games.
• United States have won all four of their Gold Cup games.
• Qatar have scored 12 goals and conceded five in the Gold Cup.
• United States have scored nine goals and conceded one in the Gold Cup.

Conclusion

As bizarre as it may be to say out loud, we legitimately think Qatar are going to keep their momentum going with an entertaining win over the United States. They’ve clearly enjoyed quite the surge in recent years and they have the kind of attacking presence that’s always going to make them a force to be reckoned with. They’ll have to go through some adversity, but we just think they want this win more than the Americans do.

Prediction: Qatar win

Best Odds: 15/4

Bookmaker: bet365