The young and energetic team of the United States are quickly making a name for themselves on the world stage in Qatar after being absent from the last World Cup in 2018.
Team USA has given it their all on the field and they have been able to hold their ground against tough teams and star players. Their efforts have landed them a spot in the round of 16 where the competition starts rising and the stakes are even higher.
The journey to the World Cup began with the The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) division where Team USA qualified in third place. Since the beginning, this team has been building up their ranks, yet going into the tournament they were still considered to be a weak team. However their performance in the group stage has placed the team in the radar of many soccer fans.
After three games, team USA has yet to lose and they became the second to qualify for the round of 16. In the team’s debut game against Wales they played as a cohesive unit and were the first to score. Tim Weah made the goal in the first half but then Gareth Bale scored for Wales in the second half. This game ended in a draw but left the U.S. on good standing for the next games.
In the second and highly awaited game versus England there was a lot of tension but each team held off until the last whistle was blown. While the preferred results put England as the victor, that was not the case. Team USA was able to fend them off and secure a tie. Even though the US attempted to score several times, both teams fought through every play leading to the standstill.
The decisive game against Iran resulted in the first victory for Team USA. They dominated the game and scored in the first half. The young squad found the perfect standing on the field and the goal was made by upcoming player Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic is currently dubbed as Captain America for being the captain of Team USA and is recognized for being an attacking midfielder or winger. He is a high-volume dribbler and maintains a good pace, which are valuable skills that are needed to strengthen the team.
Americans have been slowly integrated in the world of soccer and in recent years more players have been accepted into highly ranked teams. Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams are prime examples that are currently playing for distinguished teams in Europe, Pulisic is part of the Premier League club Chelsea,while Aaronson and Adams play in the Premier League club Leeds United.
These players have brought a different dynamic to the USA team and are improving the team overall.
“In this world cup their defense has improved impeccably and the golie’s performance has been getting better. They have their moments but they are still unreliable,” said Morris March, a senior in the Applied Technology Academy.
While Team USA has been working on their game they seem to fall short at the time of delivering results. They are usually a strong team in the first half of the game but then they have trouble playing at the same high level during the second half.
“Although they are not the best team, they are progressively getting better and they are showing the potential they have. I think they need to switch their strategy around. If a team does well in the beginning but then falls short towards the end, they have a higher chance of losing,” said Jelany Bonilla, a senior in the Health Academy.
There are many factors to take into consideration as the team enters the knockout stage. They have to maintain a strong defense and continue to attack throughout the entirety of the game.
Team USA has been the only team to advance from the CONCACAF division and it is set to go head to head with the Netherlands this upcoming Saturday. The once disregarded team is now prepared to show their skills on the field and give it their all.
