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FIFA World Cup 2022 Preview: Is this USA’s ‘Golden Generation’?

It’s that time again. The long-awaited FIFA World Cup is back, and for the first time, the famous tournament is heading to the Middle East. Qatar is the first country in the region to host the World Cup, and the tournament is taking place during November and December of this year, making this year the first ever World Cup to be held in winter.

After the bitter disappointment of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the USA national team has made huge improvements in order to reach the World Cup this year, and the question of how far they can go with the quality of players they have available to them is one that is an intriguing one. So, is this USA’s ‘Golden Generation’, and what can they accomplish with the world’s eyes on them?

USA National Soccer Team

The USA national soccer team is one of the biggest enigmas in world soccer. For a country that frequently dominates the Olympics and boasts some of the most recognizable athletes in the world such as LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Michael Phelps, the US has not been able to translate that athletic prowess to soccer as of yet.

It is true that soccer is traditionally not the most popular sport in the USA, and this could absolutely be a factor in their lack of success, but in recent years participation in soccer has gone up. Add this to the amount of world class talent flocking to the MLS (Major League Soccer), and the USA national soccer team’s hopes are high for the future.
History

USA’s soccer team has participated in many FIFA World Cups over the years, and they have a history of talented players that have lit up leagues around the world, along with some impressive performances on the national stage at times. They participated in the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930, and have consistently been one of the best teams in the CONCACAF division, alongside Mexico and Canada.

Greatest achievements

The most impressive achievement of the USA national soccer team is their third place finish at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, when they lost the semi-final match 6-1 to runners up Argentina. USA also reached the quarter-finals in World Cup 2002, when they lost 1-0 to a Michael Ballack-led Germany side that also reached the final.

USA have reached the round of 16 on four occasions, in 1934, in 1994 when they hosted the tournament, and on back-to-back occasions in 2010 and 2014. They have become more consistent in their performances in the last 30 years, and this is a cause for hope for USA fans around the world.

Notable players

The greatest USA soccer player is widely considered to be former LA Galaxy superstar Landon Donovan, who played an incredible 157 times for the national team and is still USA’s record goalscorer in World Cups with a total of five.

Besides Donovan, former Fulham star Clint Dempsey was a terrific asset for USA, playing 141 games for his country, and becoming a Premier League star for a number of years when players from the US were struggling to make it in European soccer. In current times, Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic and Juventus midfield general Weston McKennie are two of the shining hopes for the nation, and the most notable players in the squad.

Jersey

This year’s World Cup jersey for USA is a simple but sleek design, a mostly white shirt with the USA soccer team’s logo at the top and red and blue colors splashed on the shoulders to create a vibrant style that stands out.

Trivia

Did you know that USA will host the 2026 World Cup, alongside North American neighbors Canada and Central American neighbors Mexico? This will be the first time USA host the World Cup since 1994, and excitement is already building in the three countries for the tournament.

Squad

The current USA national soccer team squad is ranked 16th in the FIFA ranking, and is full of exciting young talent, a marked contrast from many of its World Cup squads over the past 20 years. Pulisic is a generational talent for the USA, and McKinnie is a wonderful talent that broke barriers by heading to Italian giants Juventus, who do not have a history of buying players from the US.

However, Milan defender Sergiño Dest is also a top talent that will steel and pace to USA’s defense. Teenage stars Giovanni Reyna, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, and Ricardo Pepi, who plays for Dutch side Groningen, are part of a youthful looking USA side that look to play attractive, attacking football. The pace and trickery in the squad is undeniable, and is going to be a threat for any team that USA come up against.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Preview

This year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar is expected to be a return to form for USA’s soccer team, and expectations are high that they can qualify from their group and perhaps even have a solid run in the tournament. They are drawn in a tough Group B, but USA fans will be optimistic that they can negotiate the three dangerous matches and progress.

Qualifiers

USA qualified third in the CONCACAF qualifying group, finishing three points behind both Canada and Mexico. This was a slightly disappointing performance from the USA soccer team, but considering their failure to qualify last time around, fans are happy enough that they made it to the World Cup at all. They slipped up in their last match against Costa Rica, otherwise they would have been tied on points with both Mexico and Canada.

Match 1: vs. Wales

USA’s soccer team kick off their World Cup campaign on the 21st November with a tricky tie against a Wales team appearing in their first World Cup since 1958. Ranked 19th, only three places below USA, Wales are not quite at the same level as they were when they reached the 2016 European Championships semi-final. However, any team with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsay, Daniel James, and Neco Williams is going to be hard to beat, and USA have to be on top form to get a result against Wales. They are slight favorites, but this match could go either way.

Match 2: vs. England

While fifth-ranked England are obvious favorites for this match, and one of the favorites to win the World Cup in general, both sides will remember the infamous Rob Green mistake in the 2010 group stages that allowed USA to get a 1-1 draw against an England side packed with talent. England seem to struggle against USA often when they play, and with USA’s pace on the wings, they will be quietly optimistic of a surprise result when they meet on the 25th of November. England are, of course, heavily favored, but soccer is a funny old game.

Match 3: vs. Iran

USA’s last match in the group stages is their November 29th clash against Iran, a match that is far more notable for the political significance of the match rather than their soccer styles. Iran did well in qualifying for the World Cup, but their squad has gone backwards somewhat since their brave performances during World Cup 2018, and there is a distinct lack of flair and attacking talent in the side now, even if they are still ranked 20th in the FIFA rankings. USA should be careful, as Iran’s players will be up for this game like no other, but USA should be favorites to win this game.

Possible knockout stage

If USA manage to negotiate the tricky Group B, they will probably be faced against either a resurgent 8th-ranked Netherlands side, who are also seeking to banish recent World Cup demons, or a 44th-ranked Ecuador team who have shown a marked improvement in the last few years in terms of their style of play, if not their results.

USA would be favored to win against Ecuador, but in the quarter-finals they could play any number of strong teams such as World Cup holders France, the Robert Lewandowski-led Poland side, or number three-ranked Argentina. Making it out of the group stages would be a solid achievement for this USA team, but anything past that would be considered a successful World Cup.