The USA is under increasing pressure as they get ready to take on Uruguay in their final Group C match in the Copa America at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City early on Tuesday morning.
Following their loss to Panama in the last match, Gregg Berhalter's team understands that they likely need to defeat the group leaders to advance to the knockout stages.
However, Uruguay, who have won both of their games in the tournament so far and scored eight goals, are not going to make it an easy task. They need at least a draw to secure their spot in the quarter-finals.
Team news
The USA had a tough night against Panama, losing 2-1 in Atlanta, with the additional setback of forward Timothy Weah's red card in the first half.
Weah will be unavailable for the Uruguay match due to suspension, and there are concerns about the fitness of goalkeeper Matt Turner, who had to exit the previous game at half-time with a leg injury.
If Turner is unable to play, Ethan Horvath is expected to step in as the replacement.
Uruguay, who are almost certain to progress to the knockout stages, might make changes to their lineup. Key players like Luis Suarez, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Jose Maria Gimenez could be in line for their first starts of the tournament.
The stats
The USA has only won two of their last eight matches in regular time.
Uruguay is on a three-game winning streak, scoring 12 goals and conceding only one goal during that period. They have also not lost in their last six competitive international matches.
Uruguay's forward, Darwin Nunez, has scored an impressive 10 goals in his last seven international games.
Although Uruguay has not won any of their last four encounters with the USA (D3, L1), they did emerge victorious in their only previous Copa America meeting in 1993, with a 1-0 win.
Prediction
Uruguay has arguably been the standout team in this year's Copa America, continuing their strong form with a 3-1 win over Panama and a 5-0 victory against Bolivia in the last match.
Despite their near-certain spot in the knockout stages, Uruguay is unlikely to take it easy against the unpredictable USA team, who did not perform well against Panama and suffered a 5-1 loss to Colombia before the tournament.
Considering Bielsa's demand for high standards from his team, betting on a Uruguay win seems like a promising choice as the 15-time Copa America champions aim to maintain their impressive form.