It’s almost here.
Eight days from when I’m writing these words, the USA will begin their World Cup campaign on home soil with a 9pm kickoff against Paraguay in Group D, followed by games against Australia and Türkiye.
So, the question is, how far will they go? Will they become a national storyline as they blaze past higher-ranked teams, making a Cinderella run into the latest stages of the tournament? Will they crash out in disastrous fashion before even making it out of the group? It seems highly
likely that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Let’s explore the possibilities.
The Group
There are a lot of ways this could go. With a strong start and 3 points against Paraguay, the USA could take care of business against Australia and be in position to top the group with a good performance and result against Turkey. If things go sideways against Paraguay in the opener, the team leaves itself in a tough position from there.
Knockouts
If the USA wins Group D, it will face a third-place finisher in the Round of 32, and then *likely* the winner of Group G (could be Belgium) in the Round of 16.
If the USA finishes second in Group D, it will face the second-place team in Group G (Belgium, Egypt, Iran, or New Zealand) in the Round of 32 before likely meeting the winner of Group J (likely Argentina) or the second-place finisher in Group H (Uruguay or Spain) in the Round of 16.
If the USA finishes third in Group D but qualifies as one of the third-place finishers to advance to the Round of 32, the first knockout game would be against the winner of Group E, I, or K (likely Germany, France, or Portugal). Advancing there would likely mean a Round of 16 matchup with Germany, France, or Switzerland.
There is no easy path. Winning the group would certainly help.
Pressure on Pochettino
Expectations were high when Mauricio Pochettino was named as the USMNT manager. The team hasn’t necessarily lived up to that billing so far, although there have been good moments. Lately there are even rumors that Pochettino has signed an agreement in principle to take over at AC Milan after the tournament.
So, how much pressure is on Pochettino to deliver at this home World Cup?
How far will the USMNT make it into this World Cup?
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