Nov 21, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar; United States of America forward Christian Pulisic (10) talks with forward Timothy Weah (21) during a pause in play against Wales during the second half during a group stage match during the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Soccer: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022-USA at Wales
The U.S. Men’s National Soccer team drew against Wales 1-1 on Monday in their first group match in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It was the team’s first world cup match in 3,096 after not qualifying for the 2018 tournament.
Facing a strong Wales side in their first World Cup since 1958, the US started the game strong, finding space in the midfield and putting pressure on the Welsh defense. Striker Josh Sargent who has been in great goalscoring form came closest first with a header that glanced past the post for a goal kick in the 9th minute.
Then, the US found a breakthrough courtesy of Tim Weah in the 36th minute. After a great run from Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah broke through the defense and shot first time past the defender. The son of the acting president of Liberia was the first person to score against Wales in the World Cup since Pele.
The first half was all the United States’ game. Captain Tyler Adams was all over the pitch covering defense and making clean passes. The 19-year-old Yunus Musah, the youngest US player to start a World Cup game, also looked strong moving the ball forward. The US looked hungry for a win and their work paid off.
The second half whistle blew and Wales showed their resilience. The second half was a more back and forth match up. Some errant passes and poor giveaways allowed Wales to apply more pressure. And it paid off when Wales’ captain Gareth Bale went down in the box after a poor tackle from Walker Zimmerman, who trampled into the player. Gareth Bale then slotted home the penalty kick, the country’s first World Cup goal in 64 years, past the US keeper Matt Turner.
After 10 minutes of added time after the original 90, no one could break the stalemate. Bale looked close to chipping Turner who was 25 yards out of net, but substitute Kellyn Acosta, his teammate at MLS champions’ LAFC, made a decisive tackle. The final whistle blew and the game ended 1-1.
Despite the drop of points in pursuit of qualification, there were high notes from the US performance. They recorded 59% possession and the midfield were shining. The subs also helped to maintain the pressure, though it would have been nice to see Gio Reyna make his World Cup debut, as many fans pointed out. The US couldn’t find enough attack in the game, registering only 6 shots total, Weah’s goal the only one on target. To make a push in the tournament, the team needs to test the opposition goalkeepers and provide more chances in the box. Not enough quality passes into that final third of the field and the US are left with only one goal to show for it. Still, it was great to see the boys in red, white, and blue back in the World Cup.
The draw leaves the US tied for second in the Group. Their next match up is on Black Friday against England, who beat the fourth member of Group B, Iran, 6-2 earlier Monday. A rampant scoring display from England will see them coming into the game on Friday with confidence. England, who made it to the semifinals in 2018 and were runner ups of last year’s Euro Championships, are eager to prove themselves on the world stage, so it will be a tough test for the US to make another push for qualifying for the Round of 16.
Catch the US vs England at 2 PM on Friday, November 25 on Fox Sports.
