USA World Cup 2022 preview - prediction, fixtures, squad, star player

Two convincing victories over Honduras and Panama proved decisive as the Yanks grabbed the final automatic CONCACAF qualification berth ahead of Costa Rica, thanks to having a superior goal difference.

Four years ago the Americans missed the finals when they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago, the first time they failed to qualify for the competition since 1986.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Gregg Berhalter's side ahead of the tournament in Qatar.

GROUP

The World Cup draw should give the Americans hope that they can finish in the top two, and they could be competing with Gareth Bale and opening-day opponents Wales for a place in the knockout stage, with the Los Angeles FC striker scoring a famous equalising goal in the MLS Cup final to help the Black and Gold capture their first title earlier this month.

They will then face England, who they have never lost to in two previous meetings at the finals, including topping a group with the Three Lions in 2010 thanks to an injury-time winner to defeat Algeria 1-0.

Given the political history between Iran and the US, their closing game will likely get a lot of attention as the United States look to exact revenge for their infamous 2-1 defeat at the 1998 World Cup, a result which saw them crash out of the competition.

The United States have made it beyond the group stage in three of their four World Cup appearances this century, though it will be the first experience at the finals for all of the players chosen this time around.

FIXTURES

November 21: USA vs. Wales (7pm, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)

November 25: England vs. USA (7pm, Ay Bayt Stadium, Al Khor)

November 29: Iran vs. USA (7pm, Al Thumama Stadium, Doha)

HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Coming into the third round of World Cup qualifying, a lot was expected from this young talented American generation, who captured the Nations League and Gold Cup in 2021, defeating Mexico in the final on both occasions.

Their form at home ultimately saved their qualification campaign, with the Yanks unbeaten in the Octagon on American soil while winning only once on the road, 4-1 at Honduras.

Half-time adjustments proved to be decisive for them through the first 10 qualifying fixtures, with only two of their 13 goals scored over that stretch being in the opening 45 minutes.

A five-goal outburst in the second-to-last qualifying fixture put the United States in a comfortable position to clinch a spot in Qatar.

It is a good thing the Yanks had that goal cushion because they were poor in their final qualifier at Costa Rica, losing 2-0, but winning the tiebreaker versus Los Ticos thanks to a +11 goal difference.

Their margin for error heading into their final 2018 qualifying encounter was much thinner when they needed a draw versus Trinidad and Tobago to clinch a spot in Russia, but ultimately lost 2-1, a result which was heavily scrutinised among soccer pundits in the US.

They posted six clean sheets in the Octagon this time around, two of which came against the Mexicans, including a 0-0 draw at the famous Estadio Azteca.

RECENT FORM

After officially punching their ticket to Qatar, the US put together a solid string of performances, posting three successive clean sheets in June, defeating Morocco 3-0 and Grenada 5-0, with a goalless draw against Uruguay sandwiched between those two triumphs.

However, their performances of late have left a lot to be desired, as they drew 1-1 with El Salvador, were beaten comfortably 2-0 by Japan and struggled to generate many chances in a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia.

Scoring just a single goal in their previous three matches combined has many wondering who will be their unquestioned number nine ahead of the World Cup, and who can be counted upon to find the back of the net.

Their only goal over that stretch came courtesy of Jordan Morris against El Salvador in the Nations League group stage, while many have questioned why Jordan Pefok was not given a chance to feature in the previous international window despite being in fine form at the time with Union Berlin.

Ricardo Pepi being left out of the squad has also raised eyebrows given he leads his club side Groningen with five goals in Eredivisie.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Matt Turner (Arsenal), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Ethan Horvath (Luton Town)

Defenders: DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Tim Ream (Fulham), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo)

Forwards: Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Tim Weah (Lille), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Jesus Ferreira (Dallas), Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)

STAR PLAYER - CHRISTIAN PULISIC

Christian Pulisic has rarely featured in the starting 11 for Chelsea in the Premier League or Champions League, making headlines for the wrong reasons when he published a book which among other things criticised his former manager Thomas Tuchel.

For the national team, though, the man nicknamed 'Captain America' will play a prominent role at the World Cup, having scored 21 goals in 52 international games.

The versatile attacker has had a polarising impact for his club side, but for the national team Pulisic has a reputation for stepping up in big moments.

The 24-year-old scored the winning goal in extra time of their CONCACAF Nations League triumph over Mexico and also picked up a hat-trick in a 5-1 thumping versus Panama in their penultimate World Cup qualifier.

The native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, possesses a fearlessness on the field, with sublime fitness and an ability to pass through defenders and run inside the box - an excellent trait for the modern game.

MANAGER - GREGG BERHALTER

At the time of Gregg Berhalter's appointment, it seemed to be a curious decision, given the names who had preceded him - multiple MLS Coach of the Year winner Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann, who guided Germany to the World Cup semi-finals in 2006 and won the 1990 tournament as a player.

When Berhalter took over, the Americans were in turmoil after failing to qualify for the 2018 finals, with many calling for a complete overhaul of the men's programme.

Berhalter had been coaching the Columbus Crew before being hired by the national team, and the New Jersey native had zero trophies to his name as a manager, though he did capture the MLS Cup as a player with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011.

The 49-year-old may not have been the most experienced coaching candidate, but as a player he did play a significant part in the Americans' run to the quarter-finals at the 2002 World Cup, becoming the first Crystal Palace player to see the field at the finals.

In his four-plus years in charge of the national team, he has experimented with several players and formations, guiding the US to victories at the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year.

WORLD CUP RECORD

Best finish: Semi-finals (1930)

In the inaugural World Cup, which featured only 13 teams, the US topped a group which consisted of Paraguay and Belgium, winning both matches by a convincing 3-0 scoreline.

Bert Patenaude flourished at that tournament, scoring four goals, including the first-ever hat-trick in World Cup history when they defeated Paraguay.

They would qualify for the last 16 of the next World Cup in 1934 before waiting 16 years to feature again at the finals in 1950.

At that World Cup, the US team produced one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history, defeating England 1-0 thanks to a 38th-minute strike from Joe Gaetjens.

They would go on to draw with the English 1-1 in 2010 thanks to a terrible blunder made by Three Lions goalkeeper Robert Green, who mishandled a weak long-range effort from Clint Dempsey.

Their 2002 squad featured 20-year-old Landon Donovan, named Best Young Player of that tournament, while Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel also played a big part in their run to the last eight.

A dozen years after that remarkable achievement, another goalkeeper headlined the Americans' run to the last 16 as Everton's Tim Howard set a World Cup record for saves, stopping 15 Belgian efforts in their 2-1 extra-time defeat.

The United States have earned at least a point in each of their World Cup appearances this century, going pointless only twice in the group stage in their previous seven trips to the finals (1990 and 1998).

PREDICTION

Lately the United States' form has been inconsistent, but there is a lot to like about the quality of this squad, particularly in the midfield, with numerous young and dynamic chance-creators including Leeds United duo Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams, who are coached by American Jesse Marsch at club level.

There are still questions about what the ideal centre-back pairing is and who is the most dependable striker, however, that is also the case for Wales and Iran, while England have not been blowing away their competition lately either.

We believe they will find a way to get into the top two in the group stage, but if they cannot top the group then they could face a difficult opponent in the last 16 and we do not foresee them going beyond that stage.

VERDICT: Round of 16