USMNT vs. El Salvador: 2022 Nations League Storylines, Odds, Predictions

The fourth and final United States men's national team game in June is the lone one of the bunch that takes place on the road.

Gregg Berhalter's team heads to El Salvador for its second Concacaf Nations League match of the international window. The first two games were friendlies with Morocco and Uruguay, earning a 3-0 win and 0-0 draw, respectively.

A victory is expected in San Salvador to remain on top of Group D in Nations League A.

Berhalter can learn a bit more about his reserve and fringe players for the FIFA World Cup roster in El Salvador compared to the 5-0 win over Grenada.

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath and striker Haji Wright fit into that category, and it is confirmed that both players will start.

Horvath, who was recently promoted to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, is third on the goalkeeper depth chart behind Matt Turner and Zack Steffen.

Wright scored a career season-high in goals in Turkey with Antalyaspor to play his way into the USMNT forward picture.

Jesus Ferreira scored four goals against Grenada, and now Wright will have his chance to impress up top against a better opponent.

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USMNT vs. El Salvador Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Money Line: United States (-285; bet $285 to win $100); El Salvador (+700; bet $100 to win $700); Draw (+320)

Over/Under: 2.5 (-110)

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Storylines To Watch

Ethan Horvath, Haji Wright Have Chances To Shine

The USMNT's Twitter account announced that Horvath would start Tuesday's game in goal.

Horvath is third on the goalkeeper depth chart behind Steffen and Turner, but he could play his way into minutes in Qatar.

Steffen and Turner will likely require loans away from Manchester City and Arsenal to earn consistent playing time with eyes on November.

Finding the right fit could be hard for the Premier League clubs and the players. There could be a desire for either team to keep Steffen or Turner as backups, and that could significantly hurt their form ahead of the World Cup.

Horvath is not guaranteed of first-team minutes with newly-promoted Nottingham Forest in England's top flight. However, first-choice keeper Brice Samba is not signing a new contract and could be moved in the summer.

Horvath needs to leave a good impression with Berhalter during the chances that get sent in his direction. The El Salvador match is a better opportunity to evaluate that than the one-sided affair versus Grenada in which Turner barely touched the ball.

Berhalter confirmed a few days ago that Wright would get the start up top inside the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador.

Wright could receive a better evaluation leading the line on the road compared to what a start against Grenada would have provided.

Ferreira is a known commodity within the USMNT program, and his four goals on Friday night provided a small boost to his stock up top.

Wright could increase the competition with a standout performance on the road. He scored a penalty in the first game of the window against Morocco.

The 24-year-old can use Tuesday's game as a chance to move closer to securing a trip to Qatar.

Ferreira appears to be the favorite in the No. 9 role as of right now, but that may be by default since there is no clear-cut favorite at the position.

Horvath and Wright will have the most eyes on them on Tuesday because of their positional situations, but they will not be the only ones under focus.

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How Will Berhalter Manage Rest Of Roster?

Berhalter needs to strike a fine balance between playing his most competitive roster on the road in Concacaf action and evaluating some of his reserves with Qatar rapidly approaching.

The ideal scenario would have the starters play 55-60 minutes and break open a multi-goal lead that makes Berhalter feel comfortable bringing in more reserves.

The USMNT had some trouble putting away Grenada in the first half on Friday night. Ferreira's first goal did not come until the 43rd minute in what felt like a lackadaisical opening stanza.

The Americans need to start better in order to take control of the contest and not let the home side gain belief.

El Salvador is on top of Nations League Group D after a home win and an away draw against Grenada.

Berhalter could choose to play a few of his depth players from the start. Cristian Roldan, Jordan Morris and Cameron Carter-Vickers are among those players looking to feel safer about their spots on the World Cup roster.

Carter-Vickers could be given another opportunity to shine next to either Aaron Long or Walker Zimmerman at center-back, while Roldan may get minutes in a crowded midfield.

Morris might place his name in the No. 9 discussion, but he could also be used on the flank in the USMNT system.

The reserve and fringe players will not book spots on the plane to Qatar in the minutes they receive in El Salvador, but they could move up or down the pecking order depending on their performance.

How many of the starters and reserves we see off the bat is up for Berhalter to manage. He has to weigh getting three points on the road with the tired legs most of the European-based players have from long club seasons and who he wants to see on the field in certain spots before the international window comes to an end.

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Prediction: USMNT 2, El Salvador 0

The USMNT will have a harder time with El Salvador than with Grenada, but that is not saying much.

The road test will be nice for the USMNT to deal with after a long two weeks. Wright will get on the scoresheet and make the No. 9 discussion a bit more interesting as the summer goes on.

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