The United States will be one of 32 teams competing in this year’s World Cup tournament held in Qatar in November.

After missing out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the United States team turned it around under the leadership of coach Gregg Berhalter and captain Christian Pulisic. With their final win against Panama, the U.S. finished third in the Confederation of North, Central, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) standings.

The United States and Costa Rica both finished with the same record of seven wins, four draws and three losses. With a higher goal differential, the U.S. took the final spot available in the CONCACAF qualifications to secure a spot in the World Cup.

The United States is in Group B along with Iran, England, and Wales.

One of the most notable features of the United States’ squad is its age. The team has the youngest average age of any team in the tournament at 24.3 years old.

The U.S. will play its first game on November 21 against Wales. Their next match will be against England on November 25. The last time both countries competed in the group stage was back in 2010, finishing with a 1-1 draw. The World Cup community considered it a major U.S. victory at the time.

To finish off its group stage campaign, the United States will play Iran on November 29. The team has a very solid chance of making it out of the group stage. Over the last four years, the U.S. has seen a major increase of younger Americans making it to the highest level of competition in Europe. Players like Sergino Dest, Weston McKinnie and Pulisic made names for themselves in Europe’s top leagues.

If the U.S. secures a spot out of the group stage, I believe their chances to make it to the final are slim. The team is young and full of hunger, but lacks experience in playing in the World Cup knockout stage. The last time the U.S made it to the quarterfinals was the 2002 World Cup.

The 2022 World Cup will officially start at 5 a.m. EST on November 21 when Senegal takes on the Netherlands.

Contact the writer: [email protected]