El Salvador vs USA Odds & Prediction – CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying
- El Salvador and The USA clash in World Cup qualifying on Thursday night
- The States have never lost to the El Salvadorians
- Find the odds, preview, and prediction below
The final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying officially begins on Thursday as eight countries battle it out for a spot in Qatar next year. El Salvador and the USA begin their journey with an important clash at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador. Kick-off is scheduled for 10:05 PM EST.
The El Salvadorians are coming off a respectable showing in the Gold Cup, where they bowed out in the quarterfinals. The US on the other hand is riding a high as they lifted the ultimate prize in the tournament, beating Mexico in the grand finale.
The last clash between these two sides was in December, with the States running out as 6-0 winners in a friendly. In fact, the Americans have never lost to El Salvador.
El Salvador vs USA Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador vs USA | N/A | SAL +600 | USA -210 | DRAW +310 | Ov 2.5 (+102) | Un 2.5 (-126) |
All odds as of September 1st at FanDuel
Tall Task For El Salvador
La Selecta hasn’t made the World Cup since 1982 but they should have some confidence in qualifying after an impressive first round in Group A. While they didn’t have the toughest opponents with the likes of Grenada, US Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and Antigua joining them, El Salvador went undefeated in four games, conceding just once while netting 13 times. The side then buried Saint Kitts 6-0 on aggregate across two legs in the second round to solidify their spot within the remaining eight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJpyvT51Jbw
The Gold Cup is also a feather in their cap, finishing as runners-up in their group behind Mexico. Qatar was ultimately too much to handle in the quarters, but Hugo Perez’s men showed serious guts in a 3-2 defeat after initially falling three goals behind. Ahead of Thursday’s encounter, El Salvador has lost just three times in their previous 10 fixtures and played to a scoreless draw with Costa Rica on August 21st in an international friendly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btt1Yla5qcc
Striker David Rugamas has been the most clinical figure for Perez in qualifying, bagging seven goals in five appearances. Joshua Perez has also scored three times and Joaquin Rivas is always a threat after leading the squad with three goals as well in the Gold Cup. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of attacking options for the El Salvadorians.
The US in Fine Form
The Americans just won the Gold Cup without basically any of their main stars because all players from European clubs were unable to feature. Well, the likes of Sergino Dest, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams, among others, are back with their country as they eye a berth in the 2022 World Cup. However, keeper Zack Steffen and Pulisic will be unavailable in Thursday’s match, with the latter still recovering from COVID-19.
Christian Pulisic has not traveled with the USMNT to El Salvador for their World Cup qualifier on Thursday following his COVID-19 absence. pic.twitter.com/L1nWdqOaRG
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 1, 2021
Gregg Berhalter’s side is currently on a fantastic run of form. They’re unbeaten in nine games and have already captured two trophies this summer, also winning the Nations League in June, beating Mexico in the final. The squad that Berhalter has assembled for qualifiers is quite different from the Gold Cup, but it just goes to show how much talent the Americans really have to choose from.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.
The #USMNT opens qualification for the 2022 @FIFAWorldCup TOMORROW at 🇸🇻 (10:05pm ET on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ & UNIVERSO).
Read up on how AWAY #WCQ TV rights work: https://t.co/H7RIxGLYY9#OnlyForward #SoloPalante 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/27glxHguVN
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 1, 2021
Nine players who will suit up for the Yankees play for clubs who have a berth in the group stages of the Champions League. That’s simply never happened for this nation. The US is a very strong team right now, but this seven-month spell where they will play 14 qualifiers will be a grind. Next up after this El Salvador game will be a meeting with Canada on Sunday in a classic rivalry that’s typically gone the Americans’ way.
El Salvador vs USA Key Stats
| 2-1-2 | Form in Last Five Games | 5-0-0 |
| 6 | Goals Scored in Last Five Games | 10 |
| 4 | Goals Conceded in Last Five Games | 1 |
| 7-3-3 | Record in 2021 | 12-0-1 |
El Salvador vs USA Prediction
Given how dominant the US has been in this matchup, they’re definitely the best bet. However, the moneyline doesn’t offer a ton of value. The Americans have also scored at least two goals in the last 13 meetings with El Salvador. That being said, it’s a worthy bet to put your money on that trend here.
Pick: USA to Score 2 or More Goals (-150)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
