The eyes of the world will be on Qatar come this winter. The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in November, and this year the United States has qualified.
The World Cup brings with it sights and sounds of different nations and cultures. It brings with it the fans from different cultures all to one country to celebrate the beautiful game.
The U.S. has been thrown into a tough group for this year’s competition. Their group features the likes of European giants England, Iran, and the winner of the European playoff game.
The European playoff game will be one of Wales, Ukraine, or Scotland. Wales probably has the best chance of going through, so for this group explanation we will assume that they qualify.
England will be the biggest game of them all. The two countries that once were united under one flag battling it out in the world’s biggest game. And it so happens this game is happening right after Thanksgiving.
England feature many top-100 players in the world like Harry Kane, a prolific goal-scorer, and will be out looking for redemption after finishing runners-up at the Euros.
The USA are big underdogs against England. England rank fifth in the latest FIFA rankings. This position could change for only the better in my opinion, as England have been on a tear as of late. They provide the biggest test to see if this young core of the USA is ready for the big stage.
The first matchday will feature the winner of the play-off game. In this case we are assuming Wales, and this could be yet another challenging game for this squad. Wales features some big-name players like Gareth Bale. However, a win against Wales could seal qualification for the Round of 16.
The game with Wales will be tough, but even a draw could be enough to go through. The USA should aim to try to finish top of the group though with a win.
The last matchday is against Iran, and this should be the easiest game of the three. Iran is ranked at 21^st in the latest rankings which is respectable. The USA will hopefully find a way to skate by them with ease as goal difference could come into play with Wales.
If the squad were to qualify, they could find a favorable matchup in the Round of 16, as group A has been tagged as the weakest of all the groups.
The best thing we can do for now is get excited as the beautiful game gets set to take center stage in late November.