United States National Team World Cup Betting
The United States is optimistic that it can make the knockout rounds of this year’s World Cup. They are slight favorites over the European Playoff Winners to be the second team out of the Group Stage, but while they will likely have an edge over Scotland or Ukraine, that edge will probably disappear if Wales is the fourth team in Group B. There are some solid young players that could lead the US to its first quarterfinals appearance since 2002.
Manager: Gregg Berhalter
Nicknames: Stars and Stripes, The Yanks
Confederation: CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean)
FIFA Ranking: 15 (March 2022)
USA World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group B: +525
To Win 2022 World Cup: +10000
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
USA Group Stage Schedule
United States vs. European Playoff Winner, Monday, November 21, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan (FOX)
England vs. United States, Friday, November 25, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor (FOX)
Iran vs. United States, Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha (FOX)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 11 (first in 1930)
Best Result: Third Place (1930)
Argentina in the semifinals, and they have never made it that far in the World Cup since that point.
We saw the US finish dead last at the 1934 World Cup, losing to eventual champions Italy 7-1 in the Round of 16 of the pure knockout round format. The United States were next part of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil where they stunned England 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets of all-time, but the Yanks didn’t make it out of the Group Stage and failed to make the World Cup again until 1990.
There was a soccer renaissance in the states when the US hosted the 1994 World Cup. They made it to the knockout rounds of the competition thanks to a shocking win over Colombia in the Group Stage, but they fell to Brazil in the Round of 16. It seemed like soccer might falter again in the US after a dismal performance at the 1998 World Cup, but it has finally caught on in America.
The US failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but the Stars and Stripes had previously qualified for seven straight World Cups. Their best finish of the seven was in 2002, when they made it to the quarterfinals with a win over Mexico in the Round of 16 before losing to Germany.
What to Watch
There is a lot to like about the future of American football. Phenoms like Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams are playing for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. In particular, Pulisic has a great chance to go down as the best player in national history with 21 goals in 48 appearances for the USMNT. He is a great distributor and playmaker, and he still has room to improve at the age of 23.
McKennie, Reyna, and Adams are all 23 or under too. That bodes well for the future, especially with the United States co-hosting the World Cup in 2028 with Mexico and Canada.
The increased quality of play in the MLS has helped the national team too. Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Walker Zimmerman, and DeAndre Yedlin are now able to play in a competitive domestic league, helping this team in international competitions.
One of the big questions entering the World Cup is whether Zack Steffen will still be the starting goalkeeper. Steffen has not performed well at Manchester City over the last year, so Ethan Horvath, Matt Turner, or Sean Johnson might be in goal.
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