Preview of the World Cup

The 2022 Qatar World Cup starts November 20, kicking off with the first game of Qatar (host nation) vs Ecuador. The World Cup is the biggest soccer (football outside of the US) competition in the world, taking place every four years. The fact that the U.S. has a very young team who have potential to go far makes it extra exciting for U.S. fans.

THE VENUE 

The World Cup is usually held during the summer from June-July but due to it being held in Qatar, which is too hot to be held in the summer, resulting in it being held during the winter.

 The change in location and schedule means weird conditions for viewers when the tournament begins, such as; 

-having to watch at early times, 

-dealing with school or work during games, 

Also, those lucky enough to attend games in Qatar will not be allowed to drink in the stadiums or show public affection. And, due to spacing, visitors will have to stay in man-made tents due to the lack of hotels.

Team USA goes for new heights

THE U.S. TEAM – WHO TO WATCH

The U.S. Men’s National Team qualified for the World Cup after finishing 3rd in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers, finishing behind Canada and arch-rivals Mexico. This is important for the U.S. because they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after losing their final qualifying game to Trinidad/Tobago. This result meant that the U.S. had not qualified for the World Cup since 1986. 

With the direction of US Coach Gregg Berhalter, the US has managed their way back into the World Cup with a very young squad. However, due to the inexperience of most of the players, the U.S. seem like a dark horse for the competition battling the might of the European and South American giants. 

US Men’s Roster

#1 GK – Matt Turner (28); Arsenal

#2 DF – Sergiño Dest (22); AC Milan

#3 DF – Walker Zimmerman (29); Nashville SC

#4 MF – Tyler Adams (23); Leeds United

#5 DF – Antonee Robinson (23); Fulham

#6 MF –  Yunus Musah (19); Valencia CF

#7 MF – Giovanni Reyna (20); Borussia Dortmund

#8 MF – Weston McKennie (24); Juventus

#9 FW – Jesus Ferreira (21); FC Dallas

#10 FW – Christian Pulisic (23); Chelsea FC

#11 FW – Brendan Aaronson (22); Leeds United

#12 GK – Ethan Horvath (27); Luton Town

#13 DF – Tim Ream (33); Fulham

#14 MF – Luca de la Torre (24); RC Celta de Vigo

#15 DF – Aaron Long (30); New York Red Bulls

#16 FW – Jordan Morris (28); Seattle Sounders

#17 MF – Cristian Roldan (27); Seattle Sounders

#18 DF – Shaq Moore (26); Nashville SC

#19 FW – Haji Wright (24); Antalyaspor

#20 DF – Cameron Carter-Vickers (24); Celtic

#21 FW – Tim Weah (22); LOSC Lille

#22 DF – DeAndre Yedlin (29); Inter Miami

#23 MF – Kellyn Acosta (27); Los Angeles FC

#24 FW – Josh Sargent (22); Norwich City

#25 GK – Sean Johnson (33); New York City FC

#26 DF – Joe Scally (19); Borussia Mönchengladbach

One of the positives of this roster compared to the 2014 one is that more players play abroad in Europe in the top leagues, showing their increased level since then. 

Another positive is the squad itself. This is the second youngest US squad (25 years, 175 days) since the 1990 squad (24 years, 24 days). The younger squad will be more dynamic, enthusiastic, and determined.  However, due to the lack of experience (only DeAndre Yedlin has had any world cup experience), the team could struggle with the pressure of fighting other teams and could break down easily if other teams expose them.

While the US is ranked 16th in the world, they will be competing against England (ranked 5th in the world), Wales (19th), and Iran (20th) – and every one of those teams consists of several world class players that are skilled higher than our players. 

 Some key players to look for are Weston McKennie, who plays for one of the best teams in Italy; Christian Pulisic, who is currently the best US men’s soccer player and could be the best player of all time. Pulisic plays for Chelsea FC, which  won the Champions League in 2021. Brendan Aaronson, who plays for Leeds United, a mid-table team in the English Premier League is one of the more flashy and flair players on the team and also one to watch.

ULTIMATE PREDICTION

My prediction is that the US will finish 2nd behind England in its group, then will probably face the Netherlands. The Netherlands has some good players but are in poor form, which could make it interesting for the U.S. who could take this opportunity and make the quarter-finals.

 The US has only reached the quarter-finals once in 2002 but have not reached farther than that. The U.S. has some tough opponents in its initial group, and if it advances, it could possibly play Qatar, Netherlands, Ecuador, and Senegal in the other group. 

My final prediction is that the US will make the second round of the World Cup, known as the Round of 16, and prepare themselves for the 2026 World Cup in North America.