Northern Ireland vs. USA – International Soccer Friendly (March 28, 2021)

Fresh from sealing an impressive 4-1 victory over Jamaica, the USA travels to Windsor Park to face off against Northern Ireland on Sunday, March 28.

On the flip side, Northern Ireland heads into the game on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Italy during World Cup qualifying. Can Ian Baraclough’s side bounce back and upset the Northern Ireland vs. USA odds?

Before I get into my prediction and betting pick for Northern Ireland vs. USA, let’s check out the bookies’ prices.

A series of eye-catching wins for Gregg Berhalter’s men sees them come into this match as favorites with the best online sportsbooks. That said, the price for the away win is sizeable here.

Northern Ireland will arguably pose the US more of a threat than Jamaica, so the high odds for both the home win and the draw are definitely worth considering.

The Green and White Army gave a good account of themselves against one of the top nations in European soccer on Thursday, yet a better side ultimately outclassed them.

Italy took a 2-0 lead into halftime, and that’s eventually how the match ended. But having peppered Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal with eight shots in total, Northern Ireland can be somewhat proud of their efforts last time out.

Unfortunately, Thursday’s loss doesn’t make NI’s recent record look any better. Although Baraclough’s men edged Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties back in October, they have failed to win any of their previous 11 games in normal time.

In fact, Northern Ireland last tasted victory all the way back in October 2019. The nation has claimed promising draws against the Netherlands (0-0) and Romania (1-1) since then, but heavy defeats to countries like Germany (6-1) and Norway (5-1) give you an idea of the team’s standard.

Still, Baraclough’s squad is packed with current and former EPL players, so the talent is there.

By contrast, the US heads into Sunday’s clash on an eight-match unbeaten streak, having picked up seven wins and one draw since losing to Canada back in October 2019.

The Stars and Stripes have scored a whopping 32 goals in that time, averaging exactly four goals per game. It is also worth noting that they have only conceded four times, although the level of opposition has not been the strongest.

Berhalter’s men totally dominated Jamaica on Thursday, finishing the game with 70% possession. They also racked up a total of 28 shots, meaning they should have scored more goals.

Sergino Dest opened the scoring with a memorable long-range strike before Brenden Aaronson added a second goal early in the second half. Following Jamal Lowe’s effort, Sebastian Lletget bagged a late brace to seal a convincing 4-1 victory.

It goes without saying that Berhalter’s men head to NI on a high. However, they must remember that Northern Ireland could cause them problems.

There is no denying that the USMNT is making big strides under Berhalter. Still, thrashing minnows like Panama, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago can’t really prepare you for facing top European nations.

Of course, Northern Ireland is by no means the toughest European opponent. But the Green and White Army are no pushovers. I expect the USA to enjoy plenty of the ball on Sunday, but I can see NI holding the visitors to a draw.