We will learn our World Cup opponents by lunch time Friday. The last of the qualification matches are tonight, with 2 intercontinental play in games to be played in June to decide the last two spots in the field of 32.
the US plays their last match tonight, and unless they lose by 6 goals, they’ll be headed to Qatar.
teams have been placed into 4 separate pots for tomorrow’s draw. Each team will be drawn into a group of 4 with 1 team from each of the 3 other pots. The pots are tiered, with Pot 1 being the strongest teams and pot 4 theoretically the weakest.
all the teams from Pot 1 will be drawn into 8 different groups. Then Pot 2 will be drawn and place one team in those 8 groups. Then Pot 3. Then pot 4.
pot 1 is the top 7 ranked teams in the field along with host nation Qatar.
With the USA being ranked firmly between #10-15 in the World, we will be in Pot 2. What this means is the USMNT will have 1 of the top 7 teams in the field (or Qatar) in their group, and then a team from pot 3 and a team from pot 4 in their group.
we can’t have a team from our region in our group like Canada and Mexico, so our group will likely have an elite team from Pot 1 and then 2 lower ranked teams that can come from South America, Asia or Africa.
below is a simulator that shows what our group can potentially look like.
the US plays their last match tonight, and unless they lose by 6 goals, they’ll be headed to Qatar.
teams have been placed into 4 separate pots for tomorrow’s draw. Each team will be drawn into a group of 4 with 1 team from each of the 3 other pots. The pots are tiered, with Pot 1 being the strongest teams and pot 4 theoretically the weakest.
all the teams from Pot 1 will be drawn into 8 different groups. Then Pot 2 will be drawn and place one team in those 8 groups. Then Pot 3. Then pot 4.
pot 1 is the top 7 ranked teams in the field along with host nation Qatar.
With the USA being ranked firmly between #10-15 in the World, we will be in Pot 2. What this means is the USMNT will have 1 of the top 7 teams in the field (or Qatar) in their group, and then a team from pot 3 and a team from pot 4 in their group.
we can’t have a team from our region in our group like Canada and Mexico, so our group will likely have an elite team from Pot 1 and then 2 lower ranked teams that can come from South America, Asia or Africa.
below is a simulator that shows what our group can potentially look like.