The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is one of the most improved international squads going to the World Cup in Qatar. These days, the US Men’s soccer team is brimming with talent, and for the first time in a while can enter the World Cup as serious dark horses. Pundits and fans alike are wondering how far the USMNT can go in the World Cup.
Can the USMNT get past the Group Stage in the 2022 World Cup?
Competing in a group that is comprised of England, Wales, and Iran, some have gone as far as to dub this group one of the groups of death at the World Cup. While Iran will have a tricky time competing with the likes of England and the US, the Welsh are well known to provide an upset.
This makes for an interesting draw, as while England are favorites to finish the group on top, the second spot will be hotly contested by the USMNT and Wales.
Below, the article assesses some factors that can shed light on how the USMNT will fare at the world cup:
Build up to the World Cup
The USMNT’s road to the world cup was certainly an interesting one. Grouped with the likes of Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and Panama, the US men had big things expected of them and were expecting big things themselves. While rivals Mexico had often teams seen the USMNT come short in recent history, many were expecting the USMNT to cruise to the top of the CONCACAF rankings and breeze into the World Cup Group Stage.
The likes of Canada and Mexico had different plans, however, as these two nations finished above the USMNT in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Canada, shocking everyone along the way, finished top of the group, with Mexico, who won as many games as the Maple Leafs missed out on the top spot through goal difference, leaving the USMNT closely making it via their third position finish, having won one less game, while having a higher goal difference than Mexico.
While the road to the World Cup isn’t always the main thing to go by, the USMNT will be looking for some smoother waters as they prepare for their opening game in Qatar. As it currently stands, the list of Ontario betting sites provided by leading bookmaker comparison website My Betting Sites gives the USMNT +700 odds for winning Group B, odds that symbolize that the USMNT will have to put together a set of pristine performances to finish on top of their group.
Who do they have to call upon?
Assessing the chances of a given team can be a tricky undertaking, but where a lot of pundits start is with a squad. There are a number of young talents that the USMNT has to call upon, along with some more experienced players to give the squad some foundation.
Some key figures that the USMNT will be looking to call upon including Cristian Pulisic, who is arguably the key player that the country has to call upon. Pulisic made a name for himself at German contenders Borrusia Dortmund, before moving to Premier League contenders Chelsea in 2019. Pulisic’s quality and leadership capabilities have many expecting a string of key performances.
The USMNT will also be looking to experienced fullback Deandre Yedlin, as the player has a wealth of experience to draw from over years of football in the English Premier League. A dynamic right back with the ability to contribute on attach, Yedlin is a player that the youngsters will be looking up to when they head to Qatar later this year.
What is surprising is to see the likes of Gio Reyna and Serginio Dest omitted from the USMNT’s current roster. While the two players could still represent the USMNT’s U23s, both have impressed at the club level in two of Europe’s top 5 leagues, leading some to question their lack of involvement.
Realistically, can the United States get through the groups?
In a group comprised of England, Wales and Iran, the Men’s National Team definitely has a shot to make passed the group stage and into the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar. While toppling England may be a tricky affair, they stand a good chance of beating the other two, and claiming that last round of 16 spots.
