Sports Mole previews Saturday’s friendly clash between USA and Colombia, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two teams that will compete at this summer’s Copa America will lock horns in an international friendly on Saturday evening, with the USA welcoming Colombia.
Both sides were last in action at the end of March, with the United States beating Mexico 2-0, while Colombia recorded a 3-2 victory over European outfit Romania.
Match preview
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USA beat Mexico 2-0 last time out to win the CONCACAF Nations League, and the team’s attention has now switched to their two pre-Copa America warm-up fixtures.
Indeed, the Stars and Stripes will tackle Colombia and Brazil in two glamour friendlies before opening their Copa America campaign against Bolivia on June 23.
Gregg Berhalter‘s side will also take on Panama and Uruguay in Group C this summer, and they will be bidding to improve on what was a solid showing at the 2022 World Cup, reaching the round of 16.
USA have never won the Copa America, with their last participation in the competition coming back in 2016, when they finished in fourth position.
The United States will be going in search of just their fourth victory over Colombia in international football, with their last success against the South American nation coming in a friendly back in March 2005.
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Colombia will bring a six-game winning run into this contest, including 1-0 and 3-2 victories over Spain and Romania respectively in their two friendlies earlier this year.
La Tricolor have actually been victorious in each of their last six non-competitive matches, also overcoming Venezuela and Mexico late last year, while they sit third in their 2026 World Cup qualification section.
Nestor Lorenzo‘s side are unbeaten in each of their last 21 matches in all competitions, with their last loss proving to be a 1-0 reverse to Argentina back in February 2022.
Colombia are therefore a side to be taken extremely seriously at this summer’s Copa America, and they have previously enjoyed success in the competition, lifting the trophy back in 2001.
La Tricolor have finished third in two of their last three Copa Americas, meanwhile, and they can be considered behind Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as one of the potential challengers for this year’s trophy.
USA friendly form:
USA form (all competitions):
Colombia friendly form:
Colombia form (all competitions):
Team News
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Sergio Dest is a notable absentee for the United States due to injury, but there will still be plenty of familiar names in their starting side for this contest.
There are likely to be five Premier League representatives in the XI, with Matt Turner, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams all due to start, while Giovanni Reyna, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest from Borussia Dortmund, should also be in the side.
Christian Pulisic, now of AC Milan, is the captain, and he will feature in the final third of the field, with Timothy Weah and Haji Wright also set for starting roles in this international friendly.
As for Colombia, Liverpool’s Luis Diaz is set to start, with the 27-year-old bidding to add to the 11 goals that he has managed for his country.
There could also be a spot in the XI for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, while Crystal Palace duo Jefferson Lerma and Daniel Munoz are set to feature from the first whistle.
Veteran James Rodriguez could feature off the bench in this contest, with Kevin Castano likely to be given the nod alongside Lerma in central midfield for this international friendly.
USA possible starting lineup:
Turner; M Robinson, Richards, Ream, A Robinson; McKennie, Adams, Reyna; Weah, Wright, Pulisic
Colombia possible starting lineup:
Vargas; Munoz, Cuesta, Lucumi, Mojica; Castano, Lerma; Arias, Carrascal, Diaz; Duran
We say: USA 1-2 Colombia
This should be a valuable match for both sides ahead of the Copa America, and we are expecting it to be close in terms of the scoreline. Colombia are in excellent form, though, and we are backing the talented outfit to put another positive result on the board here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.