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It’s almost tradition at this point for the United States international soccer team to come into a major tournament as the underdogs. This is exacerbated by their group stages featuring England, Wales and Iran – teams which pose serious challenges.
But does the longshot reputation reflect reality? Here’s a look at what shape the US team is in right now, whether their odds are fair, and how to make the most out of your betting markets.
With the USA World Cup 2022 squad now picked, it’s clear to anyone familiar with club soccer that this is a line up not to be overlooked. That’s thanks to the wealth of experience on display in the American and European domestic leagues.
Coming from the MLS, you’ve got stars such as likely starter Jesus Ferreira and MLS Cup 2022 winning midfielder Kellyn Acosta. They’ll be joined by the likes of Chelsea’s backup Christian Pulisic, immensely talented 20-year-old Giovanni Reyna coming in from a forward position in Borussia Dortmund, and Arsenal’s Matt Turner in goal.
While there were some decisions that raised eyebrows, we’d say that this year’s USA squad is looking like a strong prospect compared to many previous iterations.
Beyond the headline players, there’s a solid roster of players available for the international team. Here’s the full list of available players following squad selection:
Forwards:
Midfielders:
Defenders:
Goalkeepers:
They’ll face Wales on the 21st, England on the 25th, and Iran on the 29th of November, respectively.
The USA has a pretty decent team this year – full of versatile experiences and strengths that could prove them to be a force beyond expectations. That said, they have a short time to mesh as a team, considering lackluster warm-up fixtures against Saudi Arabia and Japan.
In terms of potentially making it through the group stages, the runner-up spot is their best shot. It’s tough to imagine them beating recent Euro finalists England, who’ll be looking to transform their recent form and good fortune into a generation-defining championship victory.
The USA looks likely to defeat Iran, so a race between them and Wales is expected, which could go either way. In other words, they’d likely be given around even odds of making it. Considering the best bookies’ odds give an implied probability of around 47.6% of USA qualifying at the time of writing, this market provides very reasonable odds worthy of your consideration. Of course, this is only the case if you pick a good sportsbook for your WC bet, so be sure to choose carefully.
And, if you fancy your chances at really long odds, you could back the USA to win the whole thing. There’s some potentially massive returns there.
No matter their failures or successes in the World Cup 2022, the wild card that is USA’s 2022 team is reflective of a fascinating tournament. Not only do they provide a ton of questions that await exciting answers, but lots of great betting opportunities too.
Most important of all – whether or not you decide to take advantage of those markets – is that you take the time to embrace and enjoy what team USA brings to arguably soccer’s greatest tournament.
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