A World Cup is always complex, considering all the upsets and qualification scenarios. However, the upcoming competition in Qatar is considerably more complicated. Qatar is hosting the World Cup, a country with a population the size of Chicago and a landmass slightly bigger than Connecticut, during the middle of the European club season as opposed to the country’s scorching summer. To make up for the demanding schedule, the games will be played more quickly, compressing a 32-day tournament into only 29 days.
U.S. Soccer has landed in Qatar to begin preparations for the major event, which will start less than 100 hours from now in Qatar. Christian Pulisic of Chelsea was among the 26 players on the national team roster who began practice at the World Cup venue with construction workers.
After an unfortunate failure to advance for the 2018 edition of the tournament, the United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT) is returning to the World Cup. 2018 was the first time since the 1980s that the United States team missed the major sporting spectacle.
USMNT Placed In Group B
For the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the United States national soccer team was placed in Group B along with Wales, England, and Iran. It is a balanced group, one from which supporters of the USMNT feel their country may advance to the knockout stages by placing among the top two.
Key players will need to be involved.
Christian Pulisic, a talented 24-year-old attacker who has long dreamed of a USMNT turnaround and the title “Captain America,” is the team’s biggest star. The Chelsea player Pulisic stood out throughout the World Cup qualifying games: His five goals this year included a hat trick in a 5-1 thrashing of Panama. Considering his performance in the qualifying round, fans believe that he can create some historic World Cup memories for the USMNT.
Weston McKennie, who plays as a midfielder for Juventus, and two young players from Leeds United, Tyler Adams, a 23-year-old midfielder, and Brenden Aaronson, a 22-year-old forward with an exciting playing style that has made him a fan favorite, are other rising stars the team will look to for offensive production.
The U.S. is predicted to have the youngest squad in the World Cup and may have the least experienced players, with an average age of 25 years and 175 days. Only one member of the inexperienced team has World Cup experience. That player is the defender DeAndre Yedlin, who participated in three games in Brazil in 2014 as a substitute due to the tournament’s absence in 2018.
The USMNT’s first game is against Wales on November 21, followed by a big battle against England on November 25, and then a game against Iran on November 29 to finish the team’s challenging group stage schedule.
The World Cup may be a few days away, and the fans have started betting on the possibilities of who might win. Indeed, with sports betting becoming legal across the nation in recent years, this edition of the tournament is the first one that many residents are able to enjoy legally, including those based in New York.
You can also place your bet on anything from a player to a country. Caesars sportsbook in N.Y. offers odds for all the local players drafted for every match throughout the tournament. You’ll also be able to eavesdrop on pre-game betting odds for each competitor and see how those bets have changed as the game progresses.
However, before fans start rushing ahead and placing the bets that they may want to make, it is perhaps worth keeping in mind a number of things…
Group B World Cup Odds
With the fourth-best odds right now, England is one of the favorites to win the group at -156 with Caesars, while also being priced at +1000 to win the World Cup. Wales isn’t too far behind the United States, the second-best bet to win the group and go to the knockout phase as the USMNT have been provided odds of +550 compared to Wales’ +600 to win the Group.
How Can USMNT qualify for the Next Round
The USA will likely need at least four points to escape the group, with anything more greatly increasing their prospects. Only two teams from each of the eight groups in the 2018 World Cup proceeded with four points; every other group had a second-place winner with five or six points.
The United States qualified for the Round of 16 in 2014 with four points, finishing second to the eventual champions Germany and level with Portugal, but moving on by goal differential. In 2010, another tournament in which the United States made it through the group stage, it finished first in the group with five points, beating England on goal difference courtesy of the infamous goal scored by Landon Donovan against Algeria in the 91st minute of the last group-stage match.
The USA must gather a score against two of the three teams from the group, with at least one win, to earn at least four points. For the sake of this projection exercise, we will assign the USA a defeat to England, which is rated No. 5.
Who would the USMNT face in the Next Round?
The Round of 16 might include a friendly matchup for the United States if it can advance from its group and into the knockout round.
Since Group A automatically includes the hosts per FIFA tradition — Qatar is ranked No. 50 worldwide — the U.S. would be up against a group winner that will not be among the top seven teams in the world. If the U.S. finishes second in the group to title contenders England, the U.S. will play the team that finishes atop Group A. At No. 8, the Netherlands is the squad with the highest ranking.
The Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador are in Group A alongside Qatar which will be difficult. However, it’s still preferable than to play teams like Brazil, Spain, and Argentina, who are expected to dominate other groups in the tournament.
Who will score the most goals during the World Cup?
Despite certain squad omissions, there are still numerous American players at the World Cup to watch. Without question, Christian Pulisic is in the driver’s seat, and our prop bet on who will score the most goals for the USMNT reflects that. Nonetheless, it is wise to also consider that both Josh Sargent and Jesus Ferreira have been included, too, with each of these men also capable of scoring the required goals.
Conclusion
The U.S. Men’s Football team has a lot to live up to in the World Cup, but they have the potential to surprise us. They have a committed group of young players that want to succeed on the biggest platform, and if they can gel together as a team, we could see them go far. Regardless of how they do in the tournament, it promises to be an exciting ride for fans of the U.S. Men’s Football team.
