USA
Group:
B
First Match:
November 22, 2022, 3 AM SGT
Stadium:
Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium
After the disappointment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup, the United States qualified for this year's winter tournament tied for fourth place with Costa Rica, who required an additional playoff match to make the cut.
The United States advanced past the group stage in each of the previous World Cups for which they qualified, so they may enter this winter's tournament with some modest confidence that they may do so again.
In the span of two months last summer, the United States overcame Mexico in not one but two finals, winning the Gold Cup 1-0 in overtime and the Nations League championship 3-2 in overtime. For a youthful team that will be co hosting the World Cup in four years, this competition should prove to be important preparation.
Key Player: Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Pulisic, at 24 years old, has spent his entire professional career in Europe's top leagues, most recently joining Chelsea in 2019 after spending the previous four seasons with Dortmund. With 5 goals in 10 games throughout qualifying, Pulisic led the United States in scoring and is now among the top 10 scorers in United States history.
Furthermore, his goals-per-game average is higher than everyone else on that list. The success of the United States in this group is highly dependent on his originality.