USA defensive milestones at WC

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign for the United States concluded Dec. 3 following their 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Round of 16, capping a tournament in which they had many notable achievements, reports CONCACAF.

CONCACAF said it started with the US opening match in Group B against Wales in a match that ended 1-1 for a share of the points.

The US extended its unbeaten run in World Cup openers to three matches (1W-2D-0L), “making it just one loss in their last five World Cup openers.”

In its match against Wales, it was also the fifth time in six World Cup group stage matches that the US played to a draw against European opposition.

CONCACAF said FW Timothy Weah’s first half goal was the 10th time in the country’s last 11 World Cup matches that they found the back of the net. On a personal level for Weah, he completed the World Cup “treble”, CONCACAF said.

It said Weah scored three goals at the 2017 FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup in India, followed by two goals at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup in Poland and now a goal in a Senior Men’s World Cup.

Against Wales, CONCACAF said MF Yunus Musah became the second-youngest player in US Men’s National Team history to make an appearance at a World Cup, at 19 years and 357 days.

The US followed up the result against Wales with another solid performance in a 0-0 draw versus England to extend its unbeaten streak against England in World Cup play to three matches (1W-2D-0L).

“In addition to it being the sixth draw in seven group stage matches against a European opponent, it improved the US record against UEFA sides to 2W-5D-1L in their last eight games,” CONCACAF said.

It said an unbeaten run in the group was rounded out by a dramatic 1-0 victory over Iran in which FW Christian Pulisic scored the 50th goal for the US in World Cup history.

“The result also meant that the US have advanced from their group in their last three World Cup appearances (2010, 2014, 2022),” CONCACAF said.

“The clean sheet kept by GK Matt Turner and the defense marked the first time that the US had recorded two straight clean sheets in the World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1930 and gave the US their best-ever defensive record in a four-team World Cup group stage with just one goal allowed,” it added.

Despite suffering defeat in their Round of 16 match-up, CONCACAF said Musah was able to make more history by becoming the second-youngest US player to play in a knockout stage match at the World Cup, “when he played against the Dutch at 20 years and four days, capping an impressive US campaign at Qatar 2022.”