New Zealand vs USA Prediction & Betting Tips - Men's Olympic Tournament

Prediction published on 27/07/2024, 04:27  by Sridhar in Men's Olympic Tournament Predictions

In a crucial matchday two of Group A in the Olympic tournament, New Zealand and the United States battle it out at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday. This match is vital for the chances of both, as New Zealand could likely confirm passage to the knockouts while the United States is looking to stay alive. This makes our prediction for a likely entertaining match with guaranteed action.

New Zealand are second in the group table with three points, behind France because of the goal difference. The USA side is at the at the bottom with zero points and the worst goal difference of all teams. New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1 in the first match, for just their second-ever win in the history of the history of the Olympics.. They could confirm passage to the quarterfinals for the second time in a row by avoiding defeat here.

Recent form raises hope, as the OlyWhites have won seven of their last eight matches, losing only to Uzbekistan in the sequence. The USA are coming here on the back of sliding fortunes, as a 3-0 loss to France in their first match made it five defeats and two draws from their last eight matches. The only win in that sequence was a 3-0 victory over Guinea U23, whom they face in the last match of the group stage.

To stay alive until that match, though, the USA needs to avoid defeat and preferably win. The quality of the opposition will be considerably lesser, as the French have some big names on their roster, which won’t be the case against New Zealand. Yet, the pressure is surely on the US to progress further in the Olympics, where they are participating after a 16-year gap.