Lalas says US proved it can 'hang with the best' after England tie

Former US defender Alexi Lalas claims Christian Pulisic and Co. proved they can ‘hang with the best’ and insists they ‘should be proud of not flinching against the No. 5 team in the world’ following tie with England

  •  Alexi Lalas said the USMNT proved it can play with the best in the world
  • The US clinched a point after it shutout England in its Group B clash in Qatar  
  •  The USA came close to scoring several times against their English rivals
  •  If the US do not defeat Iran they will be eliminated from the World Cup
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  • Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results

Former USMNT defender and FOX Sports pundit Alexi Lalas praised the Americans following their 0-0 draw against England.

Gregg Berhalter’s team clinched a point against one of the tournament’s favorites, England, after shutting out The Three Lions in a goalless stalemate at the World Cup in Qatar on Black Friday. 

The USA impressed against the Three Lions and arguably had the better chances with Christian Pulisic smashing a strike against the crossbar in a gripping affair at the Qatar World Cup.

The USA clinched a point against England in a goalless stalemate in Group B at the World Cup

Alexi Lalas said the United States National team proved they can play with the best in the world

Following, the result pundit Lalas claimed that the US proved its worth on the global stage. 

‘I thought this was a great performance,’ Lalas said. ‘I thought this was a performance that Gregg Berhalter can be proud of in terms of his team, the players can be proud of, we can be proud of. 

‘You went toe-to-toe, head-to-head, you didn’t flinch, you didn’t blink against the No. 5 team in the world, a team that on paper is much better than you.  

‘[…] They took the opportunity tonight I think to prove to all of us. And to prove to America that they can hang with the best out there.’

However, there is still work to be done as the US needs to beat Iran in the final Group B game to progress to the knockout stages.

But Lalas insisted that the young team will carry momentum into the crunch clash following its performance against The Three Lions.  

USA captain Tyler Adams battles English captain Harry Kane for possession of the ball 

‘Iran are not the best,’ the former defender added. ‘A good team, US could get beaten if they don’t bring it now on Tuesday.

‘But they’re going to have that beautiful baggage. That positive energy and that positive experience of what just happened here tonight.’

The United States at times looked like the stronger team than England and were not afraid to press their opposition or send numbers forward when the space to attack opened up. 

Lalas was not the only member of FOX’s punditry team to praise the US team as Clint Dempsey did the same.

Christian Pulisic lines up to take a corner kick against England during World Cup action 

‘You talked about the first game, the first half he played against Wales this game, two strong halves,’ Dempsey.

‘In term of going for it I thought the play from midfield was outstanding in term of Tyler Adams, Musah, and Weston McKennie. I thought Tim Ream was huge for us.’

‘I thought he did a great job of how he passed out of the back, and Christian, I thought he was dangerous up front.’

‘I’m just really excited about what these kids can accomplish. You can see that they’re growing in confidence and looking forward to the Iran game.

The United States at times looked like the stronger team than the Three Lions 

‘I thought they won the midfield, and that’s why they got a point here. Kids watching this game back home, they got inspired and there’s a lot for this country to be proud of.’

The match on Tuesday will be do or die for the United States as they need to take all three points from the match in order to advance from the group stage, otherwise they will be watching the rest of the tournament from home.

England holds the most secure position in the group as they merely need to avoid defeat in the final game against Wales to advance.

Wales on the other hand face the hardest path to advance as they would not only need to defeat England by a substantial margin but also hope for a draw in the USA vs Iran game.

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