World Cup 2022: Sizing up USMNT's Group B chances vs. England, Iran

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Less than two days after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in eight years, the United States men know which three first-round foes they’ll face in Qatar.

Sort of.

At Friday’s draw in Doha, the Americans were placed into Group B alongside England and Iran. But they won’t know the identity of their third opponent until June, when Wales meet the winner of Scotland vs. Ukraine in the final European playoff.

Whoever that turns out to be, the USA-England game — set for Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving — is undoubtedly this group's marquee matchup.

"I think it's a great draw for us," U.S. headliner Christian Pulisic, who stars for London’s Chelsea, told reporters shortly after the groups were revealed. "Playing against England is exciting."

Here are three thoughts on the USMNT’s already-fascinating 2022 World Cup slate:

USA-England will be enormous …

With FIFA’s top seven teams assured of avoiding one another in the group stage, Gregg Berhalter’s squad was always going to have to face one of the big boys. They could’ve done worse than England.

Like most soccer fans, the Americans know England and their players inside out. 

"I was one of those kids that grew up watching the Premier League," U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said Friday. 

The two sides are similar: young, fast, fearless — and not quite as technically gifted as the likes of Belgium or Brazil.

And while the Three Lions are more talented and experienced, having reached the final four in 2018, the U.S. are determined to prove to themselves, their country and the rest of the soccer world that they can stand toe-to-toe with one of the title favorites — especially after missing the World Cup entirely four years ago. 

History is on their side, too. The U.S. beat England in 1950 — perhaps the biggest upset in tournament history — and tied them in 2010, winning their group.

That was then, though. Gareth Southgate’s side is far better than the one England sent to South Africa 12 years ago or the one that failed to survive the first round in Brazil four years later. 

And it’s not just fans or even U.S. players who already have the date circled on their calendars. Within minutes of the U.S. being drawn into Group B, Pulisic said he fielded a phone call from club teammate Mason Mount, one of England’s top young players.

"This is an opportunity for us to show what we're made of," Berhalter said. "They have a good team, but so do we."

… But don’t overlook Iran

While most of the post-draw discussion understandably centered on the U.S.-England contest, the Americans will also have their hands full with Team Melli. There are no easy games at the World Cup.

Iran lost just one of their 10 qualifiers and were the first Asian nation to qualify after Qatar, which got an automatic berth as the host. Iran also remain something of a mystery — especially compared to the English. "We don't know much about them," U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie admitted.

The U.S. famously lost their lone meeting with the Iranians at the 1998 World Cup in France. That match was filled with political undertones, given the historical tensions between the two countries. Politics will surely again be front and center — externally, at least — in the lead-up to the Nov. 29 match, the last of the first round.

"We have a ton of respect for Iran and their team, and we don't see them as rivals — we see them as colleagues and two teams that are competing at the World Cup," said Berhalter, an alternate defender on that 1998 team. "On the soccer field, we’re still friends, no matter what's going on with the governments."

The USMNT can definitely advance, but the opener is key

Historically, more than 80% of teams that win their first match at any given World Cup advance to the last 16. Drop the opener, and the odds of reaching the knockout stage plunge below 10%. So whether the opponent is Scotland, Ukraine or Wales, winning — or at least not losing — the first game is imperative for the U.S.

The good news for U.S. fans is the Americans should be favored against any of those opponents. Facing the Scots or Welsh would also be ideal preparation for England, though Berhalter noted Friday that in addition to the obvious quality gap, the Three Lions don’t play as similarly to their neighbors as they used to. But Scotland and Wales are still closer stylistically to England than Ukraine, which the coach said would present "a completely different" challenge. 

Not that he’d mind, considering Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country. "If the people of Ukraine can get some hope by their team playing in the World Cup, it's amazing," he said. "We're all pulling for Ukraine."

Another wrinkle: The U.S.’s Nov. 21 curtain-raiser is also the very first day of the 2022 tourney, meaning the team has just days to prepare. Some teams in other groups will have nearly two weeks. 

"We have to be in Qatar five days before [our] first game, and that's basically when the guys are released from their clubs," Berhalter said. "But we'll deal with it."

After missing out four years ago, Pulisic certainly isn’t complaining. "I'm just counting the days," he said. "To be honest, the sooner the better for me."

One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.