International football returns as the USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday, January 22, at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on TNT.
Here is my USA vs. Costa Rica prediction for Wednesday's match.
USA vs. Costa Rica Odds, Picks, Prediction
- USA vs. Costa Rica moneyline odds: USA -223, Draw +300, Costa Rica +550
- USA vs. Costa Rica over/under: 2.5 goals (Over -125, Under +100)
- USA vs. Costa Rica pick: Under 2.5 goals and USA to win
I am backing Under 2.5 goals and USA win in the match vs. Costa Rica.
USA Soccer
It's been a fine start to life for the USMNT under former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine boss may have only coached just five games, but four were wins, including a 3-1 smashing of Venezuela last week.
The biggest issue for the US coming into this game will be the absences. Played outside of FIFA's international breaks, European-based stars like Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, and Timothy Weah will all be missing.
Therefore, the 24-man roster comprises purely MLS players participating in the national team’s annual January camp in Orlando. Nevertheless, the squad should be talented enough, with the likes of Jack McGlynn, MLS Young Player of the Year Diego Luna, and Lionel Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, Benjamin Cremaschi
Still, it should suit Pochettino's strengths as a coach. Given the wealth of riches he had at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, his best job remains pushing a hard-working bunch at Tottenham to Champions League-final levels. He should have no problem inspiring this team to win.
Costa Rica Soccer
Costa Rica has a big head coach hire of their own, with the clash set to be the debut of Mexican Miguel Herrera at the helm. "El Piojo" ("The Louse"), as he's affectionately known, has a repertoire of his own, albeit perhaps not as eye-catching as Pochettino's. Two-time Liga MX winner with América and a Gold Cup winner with Mexico in 2015, he's a big name in CONCACAF soccer.
"Having a coach like Herrera at the helm of Costa Rica is a boost, an important motivation for any player," said Pochettino when asked of his next rival ahead of the game.
Herrera will need to work his magic rather quickly. Costa Rica hasn't played since November, when it drew 2-2 to Panama.
However, he might not be the one you want to beat the US. Herrera's two prior meetings with the USMNT were a 2-2 draw in 2014 and a 2-0 loss in 2015. That doesn't look good for a Tico team that hasn't beaten the USA away since September 2017.
USA vs. Costa Rica Pick
Historically, this has always been a close matchup; with 41 games played since 1975, the USA's 19 wins compare well to Costa Rica's 17 victories.
But the latest trend doesn't match the historic one. The USA has won four of its last five games against the Ticos, and nine of the previous ten have failed to see both teams score.
Even without Pulisic and the Euro-crowd, the USA should have enough firepower to counter whatever "El Piojo" can muster together, even if not by a huge margin.
USA vs Costa Rica Pick: Under 2.5 goals and USA to win
