It’s safe to say Wayne Rooney thinks England has the edge on the U.S. men’s national team.
The D.C. United head coach, who played in three World Cups for the Three Lions in an international career that saw him pick up 120 caps, offered his evaluation of the World Cup as a whole and of the USMNT in particular in an interview with USA Today Sports.
“It’s strange timing, to be going into the winter and having a World Cup then, but it’s exciting,” said Rooney of the tournament, which kicks off on Sunday. “We’ll be in our offseason, so I’m looking forward to watching it with my children, as a fan.”
For Rooney, the time of year may help European teams, as most of their squads generally enter the tournament after completing a long club season.
“Normally, it’s the end of the season, there’s a bit of fatigue in there,” noted Rooney. “The players will be fresh, it gives the European teams more of an advantage.”
Rooney said the USMNT is “a good team, they’ve got good players” and added that cohesion will be vital for them.
“It’s not being disrespectful: there’s better teams in the tournament than what the U.S. are. But, through hard work and being hard to beat and hard to play against, I believe that’s the best way for the U.S. to go about this tournament,” said the former Manchester United star. “You have to make it as difficult as possible for them teams to break you down, and then you will get chances. Every team that plays against England will get a chance. And then it’s obviously, you’re relying on your attacking players to take them.”
But when it came to prediction time? He’s not expecting the November 25 clash at Al Bayt Stadium to be close.
“4-0,” said Rooney after taking a moment to think about it. “I think 4-0.”
A four-goal margin of victory would be a departure from history, as the USMNT actually has the series edge in World Cup play. The U.S. won 1-0 in 1950, one of the all-time great upsets in World Cup history, and sneaked away with a 1-1 draw against Rooney and England in 2010.
It would also be out of character for the Three Lions in general, as they have won a World Cup match by more than three goals just once in 69 attempts: a 6-1 thrashing of Panama at Russia 2018.
On the other hand, it’s hard to argue with Rooney’s confidence. England’s star-studded team is heavily favored to win Group B by just about everyone not wearing red, white, and blue (and even by most USMNT diehards). They made a run to the semifinals in 2018, a tournament the U.S. didn’t even qualify for, and have since lost the final of Euro 2020 on penalties.
Emily Olsen contributed to this article. Follow her work and USA Today Sports’ coverage throughout the tournament.
Rooney shares his USMNT vs. England prediction
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