After unexpectedly falling short of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the United States men’s soccer team is back in the game and ready to go for the 2022 event in Qatar.
Fortunately for the United States, they also avoided the so-called “Group of Death.” That notion belongs to the teams in Group E, which includes two of the last three World Cup winners: Germany (the 2014 champions), Spain (the 2018 champions), Costa Rica and Japan.
USA, currently ranked 14th in the world, will play in Group B, which consists of No. 5 ranked England, No. 19 ranked Wales and No. 22 ranked Iran. The path is very much there for the team to reach the knockout stage for the third time in four World Cup tournaments.
The U.S. are led by Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner, who became a household name in Major League Soccer during his six-year tenure with the New England Revolution.The 28-year-old is no stranger to the international stage, having led the USA to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup championship. Turner was also named Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.
There is hope that the state of Maryland will launch sports betting near the end of 2022 or at some point in 2023. Once it goes live, residents of The Bay State will be able to place wagers through apps like DraftKings Maryland, which will likely offer new customers a risk-free wager upon signing up.
Brazil is the +450 favorite to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup at DraftKings, followed by reigning champion France (+600), Argentina (+700) and England (+700). The U.S. are listed at +13000 to win it all at the sportsbook, the second-best odds of all Group B teams.
The U.S. are led by manager Gregg Berhalter, who took over the position in late 2018.
Berhalter has enjoyed plenty of success as the manager of the national men’s soccer team, leading them to victory at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 49-year-old previously served as the manager for the Columbus Crew of MLS.
Team USA will begin their quest with a showdown against Wales on Nov. 21 at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. Four days later, they’ll play the Euro Cup runner-up English squad at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. USA will conclude group play with a match against Iran on Nov. 29 at Al Thumama Stadium at Al Thumama in Doha.
USA won Group C (getting the tiebreaker over England) at the 2010 World Cup, before losing 2-1 to Ghana in the knockout stage. USA also reached the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, claiming the second spot in Group G via tiebreaker over Portugal. The magic ran out with a loss against Belgium 2-1.
Tournament Details, Match Dates & More
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will begin on Nov. 20 and run until Dec. 18. 32 teams will participate in the tournament, with eight groups consisting of four teams each.
As per tradition, the top two clubs from each of the eight groups will meet in the knockout stage. 16 teams will play in the Round of 16, which will run from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6. Two of the four quarter-final matchups will be held on Dec. 9, with the other two taking place the following day on the 10th.
The first semi-final matchup will run on Dec. 13 at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, with the second one taking place on the 14th at Al Bayt Stadium. On Dec. 17, the third-place game will be held on Dec. 17 at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. The World Cup Final will run on Dec. 18 at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
France will try to become the first country to repeat as World Cup champions since Brazil accomplished the feat six decades ago, winning back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962. France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 Final to claim their first World Cup in 20 years.
Belgium defeated England in the third-place game for the 2018 World Cup, and they enter 2022 as two of the premier favorites to win it all. Belgium reached the final eight of the 2020 Euro Cup but lost to Italy, who went on to defeat England in penalty kicks in the tournament finals.
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