Nov 25, 2022; Al Khor, Qatar; The United States of America huddles before the start of the second half of a group stage match against England during the 2022 World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
Soccer: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022-England at USA
After an impressive 0-0 draw against England on Friday November 25, the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team faces a must win scenario against Iran to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After Iran claimed a victory in stoppage time against Wales, the U.S. saw themselves land in third place in Group B behind England and Iran, despite their strong showing against the Three Lions of England. Much the underdog headed into the matchup against England, the U.S. looked the stronger side. Our midfield trio of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Yunus Musah controlled the game in the center of the field, providing on defense and creating chances at the other end. We only had one shot on target from 10 total shots, but the best chance came from Christian Pulisic who hit his shot off the crossbar in the first half. England had 55% of the game’s possession, but couldn’t create the same danger as the U.S., who ended with more corners and more counterattacks. The evenly matched game ended in a stalemate, as tabloids claimed US wins 0-0 when they outperformed the higher ranked side of England.
Now, the U.S. controls their destiny on Tuesday November 29th against Iran. If they win, they move on to the Round of 16 elimination game. If they draw or lose, the U.S. are out of the World Cup. The U.S. also can win their group if they win and England lose or if the U.S. win by 5 or more goals and England draw against Wales.
On Monday, coach Gregg Berlhalter and captain Tyler Adams fielded questions from Iranian journalists about racism in America and geopolitics between the US government and Iran, but both answered with maturity and focused on the game.
All eyes will be on the U.S. to see if the second-youngest side in the World Cup can advance to the next round. Many fans want to see Gio Reyna, the forward/midfielder who subbed in late against England, feature more heavily in the third group stage match along with Brendan Aaronson, both of whom did not get enough time to adapt to the game and show their strengths. We can expect few changes from the starting squad that began against England, as the goalless lineup still had a lot of promise and much hope for the next match.
Catch the final group stage match of the U.S. World Cup campaign against Iran on Tuesday November 29 at 2 PM on Fox.
