World Cup 2022 Group B Preview: Can USA compete with England and Wales and come out as a winner?

The United States has been placed in Group B for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, along with England, Iran, and the winner of the UEFA playoff Path A, which may be Wales, Ukraine, or Scotland.ṣ

After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the US Men’s National Team returns to the tournament. Stars like Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, and Ricardo Pepi will headline USA’s squad in Qatar this year, with a thrilling lineup consisting of young guns that play in top European leagues. 

Aside from a third-place result in 1930, the Americans have only advanced past the Round of 16 once, losing to Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.

This USA squad, in the proper scenario, might be ready for a deep run in Qatar, with their eyes set on the quarterfinals and beyond.

Group B is a big talking point for the intensity of games. For starters, despite almost losing out on the Euros two years ago, England is one of the favourites to win the World Cup with Betway pricing them at 13/2 to win this year’s World Cup. Wales narrowly beat Ukraine in the playoffs, but according to the odds, they are still the group’s second-best squad. The United States is the next opponent to England, and they were in the same group in the 2010 World Cup only 12 years ago.

England was one among the favourites to win their group in the 2010 World Cup, however, they only achieved five points and finished second to the United States due to a tiebreaker.

England wasn’t excessively dominating at the Euros two years ago, scoring two goals in the group stages, the same as at the World Cup.

England is the overwhelming favourite in this group, and will almost certainly earn at least five points, if not more, from the group stage. England can easily score seven points, and flawless nine-point performance is not out of the question. To escape the group, the US will almost certainly need at least four points, with six being far better.

While the United States has done the impossible against England in the past, it’s reasonable to conclude that a loss in that match is the most likely scenario mathematically.

Despite the fact that Iran won its group in the last stage of Asian qualifying, this is one of the tournament’s more inexperienced teams, and a win in that match would be crucial to advancing to the knockout phase for the USA.

The USA’s most intriguing encounter will be against Wales, the world’s 18th-ranked squad. It will be a test for the United States, which has struggled against European teams in the past.

A draw in this match would suffice as long as the US wins against Iran, while a win in both matches will assure the US advances regardless of the outcome against England.

In the end, the United States should have a fair chance of escaping the group. This is a youthful, talented team that will be ready to compete with the finest in the world.