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USMNT’s World Cup draw avoids doomsday scenario, but Americans face tough test at Qatar 2022


Equal World Cup draw away, USA The men’s national team didn’t get the toughest task for the 2022 World Cup, but it wasn’t easy either.

America is in the group of with EnglandIran and the winner of the UEFA playoff match that still involves Wales face off against the winner of the semi-final in that group between Scotland and Ukraine. Could the draw be worse for the US? Sure. The doomsday scenario has been avoided, but one could argue that if Wales – the highest-ranked of those playoff teams – gets through, the US has one of the tougher groups.

Sure, Groups E and G have higher averages ELO scores, but no other group can compete as deeply as Group B. Based on the FIFA rankings – admittedly a waste of salt – Iran is the lowest ranked team in Group B with 21st place. ranked 4th in all other groups with lower rankings.

If Wales doesn’t make it, things will be easier, but still complicated. If Ukraine were the team to finish the qualifying round, they would play with plenty of morale because of the ongoing war. In pure football terms, that would present its own special kind of challenge.

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For American coach Gregg Berhalter, the excitement of qualifying earlier in the week and then knowing at least most of his team’s opponents was the bigger emotion of the day.

“It’s great to have England on our team,” he said. “I think it’s a game that always attracts a lot of attention around it because of the England team and their fans and their strong place in football.

“And then we have Iran, a tough opponent because they finished first in the Asian qualifying group, the first Asian team to qualify after (the host) Qatar, scoring lots of goals, dangerous team and then unknown Scotland, Wales or Ukraine. Scotland and Wales are quite similar in how they approach the game. With Ukraine it is completely different. So some challenges there but overall, positive. We look forward to being competitive. “

There is considered history as well. When the United States discovered its disadvantage in 1998, Iran was fully capable of winning such a match. Iran is consistently one of the top teams of the Asian Football Confederation, reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup most recently.

“I’m a bit worried that the public or the media might take Iran lightly,” Berhalter said. “But it’s not a team to take lightly. This will be a good opponent.”

Of course, Gareth Southgate’s side will be the favorites to progress, even if the United States has historically offered the British all they can handle. Yes, the pedigree of American players has grown over the past decade in terms of the club teams they play for, but England have a significant talent advantage. Berhalter provided a summary of England’s incredible depth at right-back to illustrate just how quality the Three Lions are. Of course, that’s not a guarantee of anything, for America’s sake. Proved at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when drawing with England with a score of 1-1 and topping the table thanks to the goal that fixed the score.

For the US attacker Christian Pulisiche admitted to having had a few conversations with his teammates at Chelsea, Mason Mountain especially about the game against England, but he stressed that would not provide any extra impetus ahead of the game.

“I don’t think that’s what brings [motivation]”, said Pulisic. I think a World Cup match for our country is all we need, no matter who it is against. I really wouldn’t think about that. It will be a good test in a way. So we’ll do our best and hopefully we’ll be on the right track. “

If the US manages to finish second in Group B, a game against the winner of Group A, most likely Netherlands, Beckons. But if the US can repeat the feat from 2010 and top the table, a tough game against one of the hosts Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal – with the superstar trio of Sadio ManeEdouard Mendy and the captain Kalidou Koulibaly – waiting. Beat any of those teams and make it to the quarterfinals where it’s up against Argentina is possible, would be a great achievement.

But that is getting ahead of ourselves. The fact that the US will be playing on the opening day of the tournament makes the team’s preparation process complicated. Berhalter said that the pre-tournament camp in Dubai had to be lifted as the teams needed to be in Qatar five days before their first match and the players would only be able to debut a week before the World Cup began.

That will require the United States to make the most of the two remaining international windows in June and September. In June, the US has two games in the CONCACAF Nations League, and Berhalter says he will bring his full team.

“Boys need to be ready for [the Nations League] and need to be involved in that if they want to have a chance to compete in the World Cup,” he said.

The good news is Weston McKenniewho is recovering from a broken left foot, hopes to return to full training with the club Juventus at the end of April. He remains hopeful that he will get to take part in some of the club’s matches in the hopes that those games will get him ready for the Nations League.

Regarding the September window, the US is in the process of trying to align teams that are outside of its comfort zone and do what it can to face off against opponents in the group stage, although it won’t be easy.

“It’s not an exact science,” says Berhalter. “It’s not like if you play Saudi Arabia, it’s an exact copy of Iran, but it should be useful. I think we’re familiar with body types, athletic styles. “

Berhalter has eight months to prepare and adjust his team. With the draw complete, the countdown to the start of the tournament has actually begun.



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