USMNT win sets up busy summer for Arsenal internationals | OneFootball

Matt Turner’s clean sheet in a win for the USA on Monday night sets up a busy summer for Arsenal’s American internationals.

The United States Men’s National Team came through a tight game against El Salvador with a win on Monday night, or the early hours of Tuesday morning for those of us back in England.

Though the USMNT had most of the chances, they only scraped a 1-0 win in the end. Even so, it was enough to see them top their CONCACAF Nations League group on the final day, with Matt Turner keeping a clean sheet.

That first-place finish sees them qualify for the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals and the Gold Cup. The two competitions will both be held this summer.

First up, the USMNT will look to defend their Nations League crown in the finals in June. They’ll play a semi-final on June 15th, followed by either the final or the third-place play-off on June 18th.

Mexico have also qualified for the semi-finals, with the winners of Groups B and C still to be determined.

Panama lead Group B and Canada lead Group C, but Costa Rica and Honduras are still in with a shot at stealing top spot with a win over the group leaders on the final day.

After that, the USMNT will move on to the Gold Cup, which kicks off on June 24th and doesn’t conclude until July 16th.

Unlike the Nations League, it’s possible for a much earlier finish to the tournament, should the team exit early.

This is all relevant to a few Arsenal players. Matt Turner will certainly be involved as long as he’s fit and available.

Auston Trusty looks likely to join the squad too, after he made his debut and provided an assist for the USMNT against Grenada.

Then there’s Folarin Balogun, who is yet to make up his mind on his international future but could opt to play for the U.S. ahead of the summer.

Balogun may have a busy summer even if he sticks with the England u21s, as they play in the u21 European Championship this summer.

England’s group games will be from June 22nd to June 28th, and the competition will go on until July 8th. That’s still a few weeks of summer football, though not quite for as long as the Gold Cup.

Arsenal have already confirmed one pre-season fixture for July 19th, just three days after the Gold Cup final.

So if the USMNT make it all the way in the competition, it seems unlikely any of the Gunners’ internationals will play much of a role in pre-season preparations.

Potential USMNT/Arsenal summer schedule