News Focus
- Germany face the USA in their final friendly before the World Cup kicks off in North America
- The match takes place at Soldier Field in Chicago, a stadium that hosted games during the 1994 tournament
- Both managers won their previous warm-up matches during this international window
- German captain Manuel Neuer remains doubtful after missing recent training sessions
- Former Chelsea teammates Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz will face each other on the pitch
Germany will play their last friendly match before the World Cup when they travel to Chicago to face co-hosts USA on Saturday evening. The fixture at Soldier Field gives both squads a final opportunity to test their tactics before the main tournament begins.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side arrive in the United States with confidence after winning their last eight matches. They beat Finland 4-0 in their most recent game and followed it with a training match against the same opponents. Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino’s USA team bounced back from heavy home defeats to Belgium and Portugal by beating Senegal last weekend. Folarin Balogun scored the winner after the Americans had lost an early two-goal lead.
The venue holds mixed memories for Germany. They played three matches at Soldier Field during the 1994 World Cup, including a Round of 16 victory against Belgium. However, they also suffered a shock quarter-final exit to Bulgaria at the same stadium. Nagelsmann will hope to avoid a similar upset this time around.
The USA face pressure as tournament hosts. The country last staged the World Cup in 1994, but recent poor performances in continental competitions have dampened expectations. Reports also suggest Pochettino could return to club football after the summer tournament.
In team news, Manuel Neuer has not returned to full training and will likely miss the match again. This should give Oliver Baumann a chance to start in goal. For the USA, Christian Pulisic comes into the match following a difficult season with AC Milan. He will line up against his former Chelsea colleague Kai Havertz.
Germany have beaten the USA in all three of their World Cup meetings without conceding a goal. Their most recent competitive victory came in 2014 when Thomas Müller scored the winner in Brazil. However, the Americans secured a friendly win in Cologne a year later through a late goal from Bobby Wood.
Both nations begin their World Cup campaigns within the first three days of the tournament. The USA will host Paraguay, while Germany face debutants Curaçao in Houston.
Predicted Line-ups:
USA: Turner; Freeman, McKenzie, Ream (C); Dest, Berhalter, McKennie, Robinson; Weah, Balogun, Pulisic
Germany: Baumann; Kimmich (C), Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Goretzka, Can; Karl, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz