USA were held by Wales as they drew 1-1 to kick off their World Cup campaign, leaving England clear at the top of Group B.
After England won 6-2 against Iran, the USA were keen to take a win into Friday's clash against the Three Lions, and things started so well as Timothy Weah opened the scoring. It was a finish that legendary father George would be proud of, as Christian Pulisic teed him up with a pinpoint pass.
But Gareth Bale spoiled the party as he equalised from the spot to claim a hard-earned draw, a result that will suit England nicely. They may not have won, but that doesn't mean USA won't carry a threat against England.
With that in mind, Mirror Football has highlighted what Gareth Southgate must be aware of on Friday after a strong performance.
Aggressive nature
This USA side are as aggressive as ever, and they certainly proved that inside 12 minutes of their World Cup opener. Wales were not given a moment to soak up the momentous occasion before challenges from Sergio Dest and Weston McKennie came flying in and were deemed bookable offences.
Their pressure rattled Wales in the opening stages, something that England didn't have to worry about against a very reserved Iran side. The Iranian's didn't even look like testing Jordan Pickford until deep into the second half, but Wayne Hennessey was on his toes from the get go.
However, their aggression did end up letting them down, as a clumsy challenge handed Wales a penalty, and Bale snatched two points off the USA. But, England knew what they were coming up against with this Iran side, and that won't be the case on Friday.
Fearless youth
Berhalter's side are one to watch for the future, as their average age of 24.8 from the starting XI doesn't really tell the tale. The likes of Matt Turner, Walker Zimmerman and Tim Ream disrupt the averages, but this USA have a decade of success ahead of them.
USA have already been called 'fearless' by national legend Clint Dempsey, and their arrogance in attack is bound to gel at some point. With pace in their sails, Pulisic, Weah and Josh Sargent could be a real menace in attack against England, especially while Kyle Walker remains out.
Their speed was displayed as Wales couldn't deal with a rapid Pulisic outburst, and Weah glided through to slot home and dampen the Welsh spirits, although it was Wales who finished the game feeling happier. But in a flash they were caught off guard, something that England have already experienced as Mehdi Taremi scored against the run of play.
Ability to adapt
There was a lot of talk heading into England's opening game about whether Southgate would start with a back-four or a back-five, but USA showed they are confident dealing with both. A back-five isn't a common formation in North America, and it's not something USA have become used to seeing in World Cup qualifying.
So when they were faced with a Welsh back-five, there were some question marks over how they'd cope with attacking wing-backs. One of their answers was to break through the middle, and it made Wales more conservative for the remainder of the game.
Initially they attempted to break Wales down out wide, but switched things up when balls into the middle found no success. USA showed that they don't have to stick to just one game plan, and England could face differing tests when they meet.
