The 2022 World Cup is here and the Americans are finally involved again. A preview:
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By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
Well here we are, five years removed from Taylor Twellman’s infamous “What Are We Doing!?!?” rant the night the U.S. Men’s National Team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after a gutwrenching loss to Trinidad and Tobago. It was the first time the U.S. men had missed the World Cup since 1986 and since that disaster of a night, the Stars and Stripes have all but cleaned house and completely retooled. A new coach and 25 brand new players will head to the Middle East to throw their weight around in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, starting next week. It’s been eight years since Section925 could preview a USMNT World Cup appearance, so we figured why the hell not? Here goes...
Team USA will kick off their 11th ever appearance in the World Cup against Wales as slight favorites in their first match. Set to air on Monday November 21st at 11am PST on FOX, the Americans will trot out a 26-man squad, with only one player (DeAndre Yedlin) holding any World Cup experience. With an average age of 25, the USMNT will feature the youngest roster in the entire 32-team World Cup field. The man leading them, Gregg Berhalter, will also be coaching his first World Cup match. The atmosphere figures to be a bit different than your typical Columbus Crew match that he grew used to in his last coaching job.
The aforementioned Yedlin was just 20-years-old when he came off the bench for the Americans in the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Placed in the “Group of Death” with Germany, Portugal and Ghana that year, the Americans somehow made it out alive and squared off with Belgium in the round of 16. With the game tied at zero, we all remember De La Salle/Chico State alum Chris Wondolowski going over the crossbar in the 92nd minute, leaving 300 million Americans with their faces in their palms, hunched over the bar in agony. Now if we’re being honest, Team USA had no business winning that game and eventually lost 2-1, but the agony of that defeat still simmers, no matter how many records Wondo would go on to break in San Jose.
The only time the USMNT has made the quarterfinals of the World Cup (no, we're not counting 1930) was at the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002. Managed by Bruce Arena and captained by Claudio Reyna, that team had much more experience than this year’s squad. The likes of Cobi Jones were coming off the bench with Landon Donovan and Brian McBride leading up front. Eddie Pope was patrolling the backline with the incredibly chill Frankie Hejduk in the midfield. After beating Mexico in the round of 16, the U.S. men lost a commendable quarterfinal match to the eventual tournament runner-up, Germany. Unfortunately, the Americans haven’t tasted that much success in the last 20 years. If anything, they may have regressed as a major player on the world stage.
One unsung player on that ‘02 team was Berhalter, who has been picked by U.S. Soccer brass to find a way to bring the USA back to world soccer respectability. They have the budget and resources to do it, but actually making it happen is another story entirely.
Berhalter’s first test will be to slow down Wales and their celebrated winger Gareth Bale. At 33-years-old, Bale is coming off a championship season for Will Ferrell’s LAFC. His experience and savvy which he accumulated over a decade-long career with Real Madrid most certainly should strike fear in the U.S. side and their young keeper, Matt Turner.
The United States’ group is led by England, who have the fourth best odds to win the entire tournament. England V. USA is slated for 11am the day after Thanksgiving, making for quite a treat for Americans hungover on Detroit Lions football. The Three Lions, as they are called across the pond, will be led by Harry Kane, who in 2018, led the World Cup in goals. He’s the favorite to repeat that feat here in 2022, surrounded by a squad filled with Premier League stars. The USMNT, on the other hand has only six Premier League players, the most notable being Christian Pulisic of Chelsea, who lately has been relegated to coming off the bench.
About a third of this year’s American squad hails from the MLS, including Yedlin, who currently plays for “Inter” Miami. Unfortunately no San Jose Earthquakes will be represented on the U.S. side this World Cup, but Stanford’s Jordan Morris, who plays striker for the Seattle Sounders, will be suiting up in Qatar.
The stars-to-watch list on this year’s USMNT starts of course with Pulisic, who is the most celebrated U.S. player in the last decade and will lead FOX’s PR campaign over the next three weeks. But one should also take note of Turner between the posts (Arsenal), Sergio Dest (AC Milan), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Gio Reyna (Dortmund). All of whom have proven themselves on the world stage, despite their young age. Freddy Adu is still only 33 and maybe still the face of American soccer, but sadly no, he is still not on the roster.
On November 29th, the Americans will round out group stage play when they face Iran, a team picked by most to finish 30th in the 32 team field. If the Americans lose this one, steer clear of Mr. Twellman if he gets in front of a microphone. If we somehow win the group, the Americans will likely play the Netherlands in the round of 16. A second place finish would likely set up a date with Senegal. Beyond that? France or Argentina would be lurking.
The odds on favorite to win the whole thing are the Brazillians, who with five titles, have won it more than anybody. Neymar is still their best goal scorer, but not far behind him are world stars such as Vinicius Junior, Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, all of whom make the Beautiful Game look easy.
At 35-years-old, Lionel Messi has said this will be his final World Cup as he looks to go out a winner with Argentina. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema will have a great shot of bringing the French a repeat title. Lest we forget Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 37 seems washed up on Manchester United, but still figures to punch home his fair share of goals in Qatar before tournament’s end.
A winter World Cup in Qatar brought to us by our corrupt friends over at FIFA is certainly not what any of us expected, but after the Trinidad and Tobago debacle, coupled with the darkness of the past two winters clouded with Covid, American soccer fans don’t have much room left on their holiday plate to complain. The World Cup is back in our lives and the Americans are involved. We can all raise a Budweiser to that. Enjoy the football this holiday season.
