The USMNT itinerary and group stage opponents are finally official, according to the 2022 World Cup draw on Friday.
The United States was assigned to Group B as the third place finisher. England, Iran, and either Scotland, Wales, or Ukraine are the other three teams in its group, depending on the outcome of their European playoff before of the World Cup. In its first game, the USMNT will face the winner of that playoff.
The second match against England, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, is the highlight of the US schedule.
To advance to the round of 16, the USMNT will need to finish in the top two of Group B. It will compete to advance to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final match from there.
The USMNT’s official Round of 32 schedule is as follows:
Monday, Nov. 21: USMNT vs. Winner of Scotland/Wales/Ukraine playoff (2:00 p.m. EST, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
Friday, Nov. 25: USMNT vs. England (2:00 p.m. EST, Al Bayt Stadium)
Tuesday, Nov. 29: USMNT vs. Iran (2:00 p.m. EST, Al Thumama Stadium)
The following is a possible schedule for the US if it advances to the round of 16 and beyond. All times are in Eastern Time (ET).
Saturday, Dec. 3
Round of 16, Match 49: Winner of Group A vs. Runner-up of Group B (10:00 a.m. EST, Khalifa International Stadium)
OR
Sunday, Dec. 4
Round of 16, Match 52: Winner of Group B vs. Runner-up of Group A (2:00 p.m. EST, Al Bayt Stadium)
Friday, Dec. 9
Quarterfinals, Match 57: Winner of Match 49 vs. Winner of Match 50 (2:00 p.m. EST, Lusail Stadium)
USMNT 2022 World Cup Roster
Who will represent the United States in its return to the World Cup in 2022 now that the men’s team has qualified? The pool will be difficult to narrow.
The United States men’s national team is once again a World Cup contender, having qualified for this year’s tournament in Qatar. Manager Gregg Berhalter used an expanded player pool to get there, and for good reason. This qualification process was unlike anything else in USMNT history.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the United States played 14 matches over the course of seven months, with four of the windows featuring three matches in seven days. When you combine the travel and match demands with the workload these players already have at their clubs, as well as the COVID-19 curveballs that complicate roster and logistical planning, it’s little surprise Berhalter had to utilize 38 players throughout qualification. It’s the second-highest number of times it’s been used in a US qualification cycle, behind 43 in 2010—but that included 18 matches and many rounds against varying levels of competition.
Confirmed Squad
Zack Steffen (Manchester City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Tim Weah (Lille), Brenden Aaronson (Salzburg)
These 13 are on the aircraft, barring injury. Steffen and Turner will almost certainly be Premier League backups for the World Cup, which will no doubt cause anxiety (at least among supporters), but it hasn’t stopped Steffen from being a regular for the national squad when healthy. Turner will have to adjust after joining Arsenal in the summer, but when given the chance, he has proven to be a reliable shot-stopper for the United States. This isn’t going to change.
Dest and Robinson are, without a doubt, the first-choice fullbacks in front of them. They give the United States dynamic alternatives pushing forward from either side, and while Dest’s defence is still a work in progress, he was on the rise with Barcelona before a hamstring injury forced him to miss the final qualifying window.
Zimmerman, the two-time MLS Defender of the Year, is the only sure thing in central defense right now, in my opinion. Others in the pool are impacted by fluctuating form, injuries, and club statuses to the point where it’s difficult to declare with certainty that they’ll compete in Qatar.
TV Channel to Watch USMNT Qatar 2022
The draw will be broadcast on FS1 (English) as well as Telemundo and Universo in the United States (Spanish). Those stations are available to stream on fuboTV, which offers a free trial to new users.
The match will take place in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Wednesday at 9:05 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network in the United States. If you don’t have access to broadcast television, streaming alternatives on Paramount+ and fuboTV will be available.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final Draw will be streamed live on the Voot website and app.
