On November 23, the USA will face the Wales in the fourth game of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium in Group B. This will the first time Wales will mark their first World Cup match in 64 years, while the United States is a much experienced side to qualify for the World Cup, apart from missing the 2018 edition.
Wales could not qualify since 1958 after they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by a 17-year-old Pele and his Brazil side.
Currently, Wales are ranked 19th in the world and have beaten Austria and Ukraine in the play-offs to book their place in Qatar.
Overview:
The USA will be led by Chelsea’s 24-year-old Christian Pulisic, which will be his first appearance at this stage. Considering his performance, Pulisic has 19 goal contributions in his last 23 qualifiers, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists.
The USA have named the second-youngest squad of any side in Qatar. The average age of players is between 25 years and 215 days — till 20 November.
On the other side, after a 64-year absence, Wales is looking forward to return as a big surprise for the other 31 nations. In the past few years, Wales can become a trouble for teams in the tournament, as they have Gareth Bale on their side.
The Wales team — ranked 19th — have lost just one of their last seven games against non-European teams, that includes three wins and drawing three others. Also, conceding only two goals across that run.
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Teams
The USA:
In terms of FIFA rankings, both USA and Wales have very little difference. USA’s captain Pulisic seems confident for the team’s performance. Data speaks that the USA never registered a goalless draw in 33 World Cup matches. Manager Gregg Berhalter has formed the squad that defeated Morocco and Grenada while earning a draw against Uruguay.
The Wales:
The Welsh team is led by Gareth Bale who also plays as a winger for major league soccer club Los Angeles FC. The former Real Madrid star is regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.
It is led by manager Rob Page, who made 550 competitive appearances for six different clubs.
Wales made it through the group stage at their two recent major tournament appearances at Euro 2016 and 2020. With this, Welsh captain would like to ensure they do so again in FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Head to Head:
As per the stats, the USA is making its come back after eight years, while Wales’ wait ended after 64 years. Since, both teams have young players on their sides, predictability of who will win the match becomes 50:50.
Key Players and probable lineup:
The USA: (4-3-3): Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Long, A Robinson; Adams, McKennie, Aaronson; Reyna, Ferreira, Pulisic
Wales: (3-4-3): Hennessey; Ampadu, Rodon, B Davies; C Roberts, Allen, Ramsey, N Williams; James, Moore, Bale
Date, Time & Venue:
The USA vs Wales match will be played on November 23 at 00:30 am (India time) in Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha.
Live-streaming details:
The USA vs Wales match will be broadcast live on the Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India and Jio Cinema’s app and website will both offer free live streaming of the event.
Prediction:
With youngest squad led by Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, the USA looks quite energetic, but former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is bringing experience with him.
Experts predict that the USA have a 39.5 per cent chance of taking all three points, compared to 31.2 per cent for Wales. The match may result in a draw.
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