The USMNT World Cup schedule for 2022 is almost ready to commence.
USMNT World Cup schedule 2022
- USA vs Walers — November 21st, 2pm ET
- USA vs England — November 25th, 2pm ET
- USA vs Iran — November 29th, 2pm ET
The USA World Cup draw pits them against England, Iran, and Wales, in three games that should be fiercely contested. What can the team achieve in Qatar?
Close encounter to be expected in Welsh opener
Gareth Bale is already well-known to US soccer fans, having bolstered Los Angeles FC and their quality even if he’s been benched in the build-up to the MLS Cup final. For his country, however, there’s no chance he’ll be on the bench as he will almost certainly start against the USMNT roster for the 2022 World Cup in the opening game at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
With this being the first game for both nations, there’s an air of uncertainty about the fixture. The teams are very closely ranked in the FIFA World Rankings in the top 20, and just three places from one another. It might be the best possible start for the US as the Welsh go to Qatar in rotten form, having not won in five games and lost four of them.
Given the opposition’s poor form, it could be one of the USMNT World Cup best bets here to place your money on a US victory. Another idea would be to wager that the US will score because Wales have conceded in 10 of their last 11 games.
USMNT World Cup schedule 2022 all begins with this game, it’s scheduled on November 21st, with it all set to kick off at 2 pm ET.
What has changed since the 1-1 in South Africa?
The last competitive match against England came back in the 2010 World Cup as 40,000 supporters in Rustenburg witnessed Clint Dempsey’s effort trickle past Rob Green as the US was able to upset the odds and gain a rare draw against England. Over 12 years on, it’s no surprise that the line-ups are completely different. While ‘legends’ Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore are still active, they are simply not the same players and have little chance of making it on the plane to Qatar.
For one. the USMNT World Cup roster in 2022 is a lot more youthful with far fewer prior caps, suggesting that the sport has grown in stature and that the national selection doesn’t have to rely on pre-established warhorses.
Yet in the same period, England has come on leaps and bounds too. Several managerial figureheads have been and gone, yet the current outfit with Gareth Southgate reached the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and even the final of the 2020 European Championship.
This game will be the acid test for the US team and determine just how long or short the USMNT World Cup odds are. If they are to reach the higher echelons of the game, this is the kind of opponent the US need to overcome. The action is set for a 2 pm start, ET on November, 25th.
Will the US need a result in Doha?
The ideal situation would be that the US turn up to Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, having already qualified for the knockout round with favorable results already in the bag against Wales and England. Thus, making the final group stage game against Iran somewhat irrelevant. Of course, this is amongst the most optimistic USA World Cup predictions but it could happen.
Unsurprisingly with no geographic proximity and hostile political relations, the US and Iran have seldom contested fixtures against one another. There is however a record to put right for the Stars and Stripes. Both sides propped up Group F in the 1998 World Cup when neither qualified for the knockout round. In the process, Iran won 2-1 when the sides met in Lyon.
The last group stage game in the USMNT World Cup schedule 2022 (hopefully not the last of the tournament) is slated for a 2 pm ET kick-off on Tuesday, 29th November.
Beyond the Group Stage
There are few certainties to count upon in the group stage, however, one such luxury is that the team knows they’ll play a nation from Group A should they make it out of Group B. From this, there are some mouth-watering fixtures for the US, whether they finish as runners-up or group winners.
Playing the host nation, Qatar would be a sight to behold with the ground at capacity beating them on their own patch would definitely be a feather in the cap for the USMNT. The most challenging possible fixture would be against the Netherlands in an emotional matchup for Sergiño Dest who would play against his country of birth.
A potential game against Ecuador presents a great opportunity to charge forward in the all-time series against the nation. Despite winning the last three encounters against them, Ecuador used to boss the fixture. The record stands at five wins each and five draws. The sides have never met at a World Cup, could there be a better platform to settle this pan-America soccer feud?
The US could even play Senegal, for what would be the first-ever meeting between the two nations. America typically plays well against African opposition, having gone unbeaten in 13 of 19 matches.