The United States will not face any of their World Cup Group Stage opponents in the first round of 2022 qualifying, after they were drawn into four separate groups. However, Americans still have a tough test ahead when they travel to Qatar for the final match of group play against Russia on November 5th just weeks before hosting the FIFA World Cup themselves.
The “qatar world cup 2022” is the United States Men’s National Team’s draw for their group stage at the 2022 World Cup. The USMNT drew a tough group that includes European giants Portugal and Spain, as well as Asian powerhouse Iran.
The United States men’s national team did not have the most difficult draw for the 2022 World Cup, but it is far from simple.
The United States is in Group B alongside England, Iran, and the winner of the Playoffs in UEFA between Wales and the winner of the semifinal between Scotland and Ukraine. Could the outcome have been any worse for the United States? Definitely. The doomsday scenario was averted, but if Wales, the highest-ranked of the playoff teams, makes it through, the United States will be in one of the harder groups.
Although Groups E and G have better average ELO rankings, no other group has the same level of rivalry as Group B. Iran is the lowest-ranked squad in Group B, at No. 21, according to FIFA’s rankings, which should be taken with a grain of salt. In every other group, the fourth-placed team receives a lower rating.
Things should be simpler, though still difficult, if Wales fails to pass. Given the continuing conflict, if Ukraine qualifies, it will be playing with an enormous reservoir of emotional drive. In terms of pure soccer, it will provide its own unique set of challenges.
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The joy of qualifying earlier in the week and then knowing at least most of his team’s opponents was the dominating feeling on the day for US manager Gregg Berhalter.
“Having England in our group was incredible,” he remarked. “I believe the game attracts a lot of attention because of England and their supporters, as well as their established position in soccer.”
“Iran is a challenging opponent because they finished first in their Asian qualifying group, were the first Asian side to qualify after [hosts] Qatar, scored a lot of goals, are a dangerous squad, and then there’s the unknown of Scotland, Wales, or Ukraine. In terms of how they approach the game, Scotland and Wales are quite similar. It’s a very different story in Ukraine. So there are some obstacles, but generally, it’s a good thing. We’re excited to take part in the competition.”
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There’s also the matter of history to consider. Iran is quite capable of winning such a fight, as the United States learned to its peril in 1998. Iran has regularly been one of the best teams in the Asian Football Confederation, most recently reaching the Asian Cup quarterfinals in 2019.
“I’m a little worried that the public or the media would dismiss Iran,” Berhalter remarked. “But this isn’t a squad to underestimate. It’ll be a tough opponent.”
Of course, Gareth Southgate’s team will be favorites to advance, despite the fact that the Americans have traditionally given the English everything they could manage. Yes, the quality of American players has improved over the last decade in terms of the clubs for which they play, but England has a significant talent advantage. Berhalter gave a review of England’s remarkable depth at right-back to show how good the Three Lions really are. Of fact, nothing is certain, as the United States demonstrated at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when it held England to a 1-1 draw and won the group on the basis of goals scored.
Christian Pulisic, a forward for the United States, acknowledged that he had already had a few chats about the England match with his teammates at Chelsea, particularly Mason Mount, but he emphasised that this wouldn’t bring any extra incentive heading into the game.
Pulisic said, “I don’t believe that’s what gives additional [motivation].” “I believe that a World Cup match for our nation, regardless of who it is against, is all we need. That’s something I’m not going to think about at all. It’ll be an excellent test in any case. So we’re going to give it all we’ve got, and maybe we’ll come out on top.”
The United States’ World Cup draw might have been worse, but it doesn’t imply Qatar 2022 will be easy. ISI Photos/Getty Images/Brad Smith
If the United States finishes second in Group B, it will face the winner of Group A, most likely the Netherlands. If the US repeats its 2010 achievement of winning the group, it will face one of the hosts Qatar, Ecuador, or Senegal, which has the superstar three of Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy, and captain Kalidou Koulibaly. It would be a fantastic achievement to go through any of those teams and into the quarterfinals, when a clash with Argentina is feasible.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves there. The fact that the United States will play on the tournament’s first day hampers the team’s preparations. A pre-tournament camp in Dubai had to be canceled, according to Berhalter, since teams must be in Qatar five days before their first game, and players will only be freed a week before the World Cup begins.
This will necessitate the United States taking advantage of the two remaining international opportunities in June and September. In June, the US has two CONCACAF Nations League games and two friendlies, for which Berhalter has announced he would field his whole squad.
FIXTURES FOR THE WORLD CUP IN THE USA
| Nov. 21 | Playoffs in UEFA | GMT 7 p.m. / 2 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 25 | England | GMT 7 p.m. / 2 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 29 | IR Iran | GMT 7 p.m. / 2 p.m. ET |
“If they want to compete in the World Cup, guys need to be available for [the Nations League] and be active in that,” he stated.
Weston McKennie, who is healing from a fractured left foot, is expected to be back in full training with Juventus by the end of April, which is wonderful news. He is optimistic that he will be able to play in several club games in order to prepare for the Nations League.
In terms of the September window, the United States is attempting to set up teams that are outside of its comfort zone, as well as doing all it can to match up with its group-stage opponents, which isn’t easy.
Berhalter said, “It’s not a precise science.” “It’s not like playing Saudi Arabia will make you feel like you’re in Iran, but it will help. I believe we’re all aware of the body kinds and athletic sorts.”
Berhalter has eight months to prepare his squad and fine-tune its performance. The countdown to the start of the competition has officially started now that the draw has been completed.
