The US certified for the World Cup after lacking out on the finals in 2018. Right here’s what the staff can anticipate from Friday’s draw.
The US is again within the World Cup after qualifying Wednesday night time following a third-place end within the Octagonal behind Canada and Mexico.
How the USMNT will do in Qatar come November will come into sharper give attention to Friday when the World Cup draw can be held and the eight opening-round teams and schedule finalized.
“Being the youngest staff on the planet to qualify for the World Cup is not any straightforward process,” U.S. supervisor Gregg Berhalter advised reporters after his staff’s 2-0 defeat to Costa Rica that also acquired them by means of to Qatar 2022. “It’s a proud second for the staff, proud second for U.S. Soccer, and we’re trying ahead to competing within the World Cup once more.”
The US is at present ranked fifteenth on the planet, in keeping with the newest FIFA rankings, that means they are going to be positioned in Pot 2.
The USMNT ought to obtain a positive attract World Cup
Meaning the USMNT will keep away from nations comparable to Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland and Croatia.
Excluding Mexico (because the USMNT can’t be positioned in the identical first spherical group with a fellow CONCACAF nation), avoiding the likes of Croatia, runners up 4 years in the past, Germany, a four-time World Cup winner and the Netherlands is actually useful.
The draw will happen Friday at midday ET from Doha. The 32-nation World Cup opens on Nov. 21. The ultimate will happen on Dec. 13.
It’s the first time because the World Cup was first contested in 1930 that it’s going to happen within the Center East. It is usually the primary time within the match’s historical past that it will likely be performed within the winter.
The US will find yourself in a gaggle with one of many following groups (who’re all positioned in Pot 1): Host nation Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, defending champions France, Argentina, England, Spain and Portugal.
Ideally, the People would find yourself in Group A, alongside Qatar, which might make the U.S. a heavy favourite to complete first amongst that quartet given how weak the hosts are.
One other staff the U.S. could possibly be paired with that wouldn’t be as scary is England and Portugal. The US has discovered methods to be aggressive in opposition to these nations at current tournaments.
Any pairing with France, Brazil, Belgium, Argentina and Spain could be robust, particularly if the US results in a gaggle with robust Pot 3 sides like Senegal, Japan or Serbia.
The groups in Pot 4, in the meantime, embody: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Ghana. There are nonetheless a collection of tie-breakers that can happen to find out the opposite three finalists between Wales, Scotland, Ukraine, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Peru, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Russia was not too long ago banned by FIFA from participating within the finals following the invasion of Ukraine.
