Both fans and the media alike were poking fun at their American counterparts as those based Stateside genuinely thought that the USA could win the World Cup this summer. Well, no one's laughing anymore.
USMNT Makes Perfect Start to World Cup
Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT made a blistering start to their World Cup campaign as they thumped Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12th, taking immediate command of Group D. The Stars and Stripes were ahead after just seven minutes after an own goal from Damian Bobadilla, before a stunning brace from AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun handed the US a whopping three goal half time lead.
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La Albirroja would strike back in the 73rd minute with a well-taken finish from attacking midfielder Maurício. But the US would put the final gloss on their brilliant opening day performance when Gio Reyna struck in injury time, sealing a 4-1 win and marking the first time in World Cup history that the US had ever scored four goals in a World Cup game.
In the aftermath of the impressive performance, online betting sites have slashed odds on a shock USA World Cup triumph this summer. The popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook now lists Pochettino's men as a 40/1 shot to lift the famous gold trophy at MetLife Stadium on July 19th, down from the 70/1 they were before the win against Paraguay. But if the US is to shock the world, which teams will they likely need to beat along the way?
Group Stage Responsibilities
The USA's work in Group D is far from over. While their thumping 4-1 win against Paraguay will likely be enough to secure them a spot in the knockout rounds as one of the eight best-placed third-place teams at the very least, Poch's side has far loftier ambitions. They will be hoping to top their quartet to secure a somewhat easier path throughout the knockout stages, and to do that, they will likely need a win and a draw from their two remaining Group D games.
Euro 2024 quarterfinalists Türkiye are expected to be the toughest opponent in their quest. The Turks head into the World Cup with a stellar cast of stars led by Juventus talisman Kenan Yıldız, and the upcoming clash at SoFi Stadium will likely determine Group D's winner. There is also Australia to contend with, but the Socceroos are very much an underdog both against the USA and against Turkey.
Topping the Group
If the US does top Group D as the bookies now expect (4/7 fav), then they will have a friendlier opponent for the Round of 32. The Stars and Stripes would face off against one of the third-place teams in Groups B, E, F, I, or J, and while that is difficult to predict right now, it's likely to be more favorable than the opponent they would face should they not win the group.
Come through that test, and then the difficulty level really ramps up. In the Round of 16, the USA would likely be on a collision course with Belgium in a repeat of the 2014 round of 16 clash between the two. 12 years ago in Brazil, Jurgen Klinsmann's side took the much-fancied Red Devils all the way to extra time after heroics from goalkeeper Tim Howard, but they were ultimately put to the sword in the additional period after goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. The two teams faced off in Atlanta back in March in a friendly match, with the Belgians emerging with an emphatic 5-2 win, showing just how challenging the test would be.
The USMNT would be massive underdogs for that particular clash, but should they somehow find a win, then the tests don't get any easier. In the quarterfinals, they would then face off against outright favorites Spain, the team that just romped to European glory two summers ago. Come through that, and a semifinal with France lies in wait, before a potential final against defending champions Argentina, or England or Brazil.
Group D Runners-Up
Should Türkiye top Group D, then the US would have a somewhat more difficult run. In the round of 32, they would face off with the runners-up in Group G, most likely to be Mohamed Salah's Egypt, rather than either Iran or New Zealand. Any of those three opponents sounds more than manageable, but a Round of 16 clash with Lionel Messi's Argentina certainly does not.
Next would come a quarterfinal against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, before a potential semifinal with England or Brazil and a final against Spain or France. As such, topping Group D becomes imperative if the US has genuine hopes of winning this tournament. Was the 4-1 victory against Paraguay enough to show that they have what it takes? We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves just yet, but it was certainly the perfect start.
