The United States and Mauricio Pochettino will play an international friendly against Venezuela on Saturday afternoon at Chase Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The Americans will field a squad almost completely made up of players from Major League Soccer, while Fernando Batista will roll out an inexperienced squad as he looks to figure out a way to get La Vinotinto back into the win column.
Find out why I back the red, white, and blue in my United States vs Venezuela predictions for Saturday, January 18.
USA vs Venezuela picks and predictions
My best bet:
USA moneyline (-115 at TonyBet)
My analysis
Most USMNT fans, myself included, typically feel the January camp is a pointless effort given the vast majority of the primary squad is unavailable. This is because it’s not your typical international break, and you’ll usually only have MLS players available.
But with Pochettino still trying to figure out his options for next summer’s World Cup, this one feels a bit different. One of the main reasons is he’s brought in 10 players who have never been capped at the senior level, including seven who’ve never even attended a senior camp.
This includes defender Max Arfsten of the Columbus Crew and forward Indiana Vassilev of St Louis City, who spent time in Aston Villa’s youth system. Returning players like Brian Gutierrez and Patrick Schulte also have a real shot at making the World Cup roster.
Given what’s on the line, I expect a strong performance from the players Pochettino will put on the pitch on Saturday afternoon. With no World Cup qualifying, the opportunities for most of these players to make an impression will be few and far between over the next 17 months as he works on getting his primary squad ready for the tournament.
And while matches like these are often tough to handicap, it’s worth noting many of the players in this team have familiarity with each other through the youth levels, playing for the U-17 and U-20 squads.
That could be a major advantage against Venezuela. Not only are the visitors struggling in CONMEBOL qualifying — currently eighth— but they also have quite a few inexperienced players and a fairly toothless attack.
With Jesus Ferreira leaving camp, the Americans lost their most proven goalscorer as well. But with the leadership at the back of Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman, I expect Pochettino will allow his side to be a bit more aggressive than usual in pushing forward for a goal with midfielder Diego Luna creating opportunities.
I’ll back the Yanks to get a win on home soil in a low-scoring affair.
Bet on soccer at TonyBet
One of Canada’s favourite sportsbooks for soccer, join TonyBet, which offers a 100% deposit match (up to $350) for new bettors!
Not available in Ontario.
USA vs Venezuela odds
USA vs Venezuela live odds
 USA |
 Venezuela |
|
|---|---|---|
| -115 | Moneyline | +320 |
| +235 | Draw | +235 |
Odds courtesy of TonyBet.
USA vs Venezuela opening odds
- Moneyline: USA -115 | Venezuela +320
- Draw: +235
USA vs Venezuela side and Over/Under analysis
- The United States are -115 on the 3-way line, with a draw priced at +235 and Venezuela getting +300 odds to pull off the upset.
- The Americans have won three of their last four matches. However, Venezuela have not won a match in seven straight fixtures, losing three and drawing four.
USA vs Venezuela game info
| Location: | Chase Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
| Date: | Saturday, 1-18-2025 |
| Time: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | 77F, 14 mph winds, 35% PoP. |
| Weather: | TNT |
USA vs Venezuela key injuries
USA: Jesus Ferreira F (Out), Drake Callender GK (Out), Jalen Neal D (Out).
Venezuela: No injuries to report.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
