After missing the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the United States is heading to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The USMNT lost 2-0 to CONCACAF rival Costa Rica this evening. But thanks to their goal differential, they qualified as the third-place team on the CONCACAF qualification table.
In the 14-game qualification round, the USMNT won seven games with four draws and three losses. They outscored opponents 21-10 but got the bulk of their points on home soil.
Perhaps the biggest win of the entire qualifying cycle was a 2-0 win over Mexico in Cincinnati last year. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie had two late goals to give the USMNT their iconic “Dos A Cero” scoreline over their arch-rivals.
These final three games against Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica saw the USMNT record four points – the biggest of which came in their 5-1 win over Panama.
The end result: A trip to Qatar this November.
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) March 31, 2022
Wholesale changes were made to the USMNT after they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. Coaches were fired, veterans were not called back and numerous changes were made at the highest levels of the sport.
But the biggest factor of all was the youth movement. Thanks to the rise of global stars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Zack Steffen, they head into the World Cup with a team that may be this good for the next two to three World Cup cycles.
Joining the USMNT in Qatar will be Canada and Mexico, who finished first and second on the table respectively. Costa Rica can still qualify but they have to win an inter-confederation playoff against New Zealand later this year.
The draw for the tournament will be held this Friday in Doha, Qatar.
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