CONCACAF Nations League: Grenada vs USA Preview

USA Favored to Remain Unbeaten

March 22, 2023 53 4 minutes readSoccer

CONCACAF Nations League: Grenada vs USA Preview — MARVIN RECINOS / AFP

First Competitive Match of 2023 for USA
Head-to-Head
USA Still Without Permanent Coach
Match Analysis and Odds

First Competitive Match of 2023 for USA

The United States of America men’s national team performed about as expected in the 2022 World Cup. As one of the youngest teams in the tournament, the USA made the round of 16 before going out to the Netherlands. Now, the Stars and Stripes will look to defend their CONCACAF Nations League title and likely need two wins to advance to the semifinals. Before taking on El Salvador on Monday in a decisive match, the USA head to Grenada. Our Grenada vs USA preview will take a look at all of the major odds from the match.

Grenada vs USA

Location: Kirani James National Stadium, St. George’s, Grenada
Day/Time: Friday, March 24, 8:00 p.m. EST
Streaming:TNT

Head-to-Head:

Grenada and the USA have met on four previous occasions. Grenada vs USA preview will note that Grenada are winless vs the Stars and Stripes. The USA are 4-0 in this fixture, including a 5-0 win last June. Jesus Ferreira scored four goals in that match and Paul Arriola added a fifth. Neither player was called up for this match, though. The USA have outscored Grenada 15-2 in their previous matches.

Massive Underdogs Grenada Face Tough Test

Standings: 0-1-2, 3rd Group B
Next Match: N/A
Key Absences: M Shavon John-Brown, F Saydrel Lewis

This match is going to be a huge challenge for Grenada. The Spice Boyz managed to earn promotion to the Nations League A in the last edition of the competition but failed to advance out of the first round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers. In fact, they won just once in all of 2022. In their first Gold Cup appearance since 2011 – in 2021, Grenada also lost all three of their matches. They did manage a draw vs El Salvador back in June but have no wins over any top 100 opponents in the FIFA World Rankings for at least five years.

Grenada are already eliminated from contention for the 2023 Nations League semifinals as well. They’re one of just three winless teams remaining in the A bracket and are tied for the worst goal difference, at -7. Grenada’s main goal scoring threat is Jamal Charles, who has scored 17 times in 34 appearances for the Spice Boyz.

Casual fans might not know much about Grenada and that may be because they have no players in MLS and just one in a top-flight European league. Winger Regan Charles-Cook plays for Eupen in the Belgian Pro League and has scored four times in his debut season. Almost half of Grenada’s players play their trade in the Grenada Premier Division.

USA Still Without Permanent Coach

Standings: 1-1-0, 2nd Group B
Next Match: March 27th vs. El Salvador
Key Absences: D Walker Zimmerman, M Tyler Adams, M Kellyn Acosta, F Tim Weah, F Josh Sargent

Without a permanent coach, Anthony Hudson remains as the USA’s interim coach. Hudson presided over friendly matches vs Serbia and Colombia in January but is unlikely to be handed the job on a permanent basis. After an investigation cleared the (out of contract) Gregg Berhalter of wrongdoing, he is a candidate for the job once again. Names like Thierry Henry and Jesse Marsch have also been thrown around. While the coaching search continues, the USA have two more matches left in the CONCACAF Nations League. They’ll need a draw vs. El Salvador, at the very least, to secure qualification to the semifinals.

While the roster for the January friendlies was full of domestic-based players, there are a bunch of European-based players on the March roster. Christian Pulisic is back from an injury but captain and midfielder Tyler Adams will miss out. Djordje Mihailovic also replaced injured forward Tim Weah in the side. None of the players who accounted for the six previous goals the USA has scored in the Nations League, (so far) were called up for the match vs Grenada or El Salvador.

Despite the injury to Adams, Hudson can name a strong midfield trio. All of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Brenden Aaronson are available for selection. Squad rotation may come into play here as Grenada vs USA Preview show that the USA are heavy favorites. So, Hudson could save some of his stars for a more consequential match vs El Salvador on Monday. The USA are 1-1-0 in the Nations League heading into this match. They defeated Grenada 5-0 in the reverse fixture and drew 1-1 with El Salvador last June.

Match Analysis and Odds:

According to the CONCACAF Nations League odds, the USA are heavy favorites for this match. Pulisic and Co. come in at -2500 odds to win a fifth straight match vs Grenada. Grenada, even at +3300 odds, don’t figure to be a very popular bet. They haven’t come close to beating a team of the USA’s caliber in recent memory. A quick look at their recent results shows three draws vs Barbados, a draw to minnows Gibraltar and a loss to 153rd-ranked Andorra.

A draw comes in at +1200 odds, as Grenada hope to avoid defeat on home soil. The Grenadians did manage to hold El Salvador to a 2-2 draw last June and nearly won the match. For the USA, Highly regarded forward Alejandro Zendejas has officially switched allegiances from Mexico. He should get an opportunity to show what he can do and center back Auston Trusty has earned his first USA call up. There’s no arguing that the USA have more quality than Grenada. Whatever combination of Zendejas, Pulisic, Daryl Dike, Gio Reyna, Ricardo Pepi and Taylor Booth Hudson decides to use, it will present matchup problems for Grenada.

The USA are expected to get on the scoresheet multiple times in this match as over 3½ goals come in at -150 odds. The US are also favored by that many goals but show +120 odds to cover. Notably, they’ve scored at least three goals each of the previous four times they’ve played Grenada. Meanwhile, Grenada have failed to score in three of their four matches vs the USA.