Arguably one of the most important games for the USMNT in recent history, the Yanks battled it out until the end against England on Friday, earning themselves a much needed point in Group B. After losing a late lead to Wales in their first match, the USMNT were looking to bounce back and earn points against a tough England side.

The Americans are no stranger to being underdogs, and in this game, they were just that. The game began with the Americans on the front foot coming out with a lot of energy that England could not match initially. This energy transferred into pressure on the English back line with attacks being led through forward runs by American wingers Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah.

England, on the other hand, slowly began to settle into the game, and found their well-known quality through a counter-attack led by England midfielder Jude Bellingham leading to a clear-cut chance by a top tier striker Harry Kane. The shot was deflected by U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman, preventing a goal for England.

The best chance for the USMNT came later in the first half after a long run up the field from U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie. The ball worked its way across to the magic feet of Pulisic who juked his defender and took a left-footed blast that was seeking the top left corner of the goal, but was stopped in its tracks by a deflection off the crossbar. 

Matt Turner, the goalkeeper for the USMNT came up huge in moments with his quick reactions and safe hands, which added another line of defense behind the U.S. center backs.

The rest of the game went on in the same fashion, with both USA and England taking shots at each other leading to an exciting, high-intensity game. Although there weren’t any goals, both teams had a handful of opportunities that created the electrifying environment. This will prove to be an important result for the USMNT as they now will advance with a win versus Iran in their game on Tuesday. 

The United States looked like a dangerous team in this game against a highly-ranked England side, which gives USMNT fans a hopeful feeling after their troubled second-half performance versus Wales in the first match. 

The United States going toe to toe with one of the favored world cup champions is a glimpse into what they can accomplish with an energized and disciplined team, as well as a look into the quality in this squad. The same energy brought for this game is needed for their game against Iran if they want any opportunity advancing out of the group stage, especially because at this point, these games are do or die.